THESSALONIKI DOCUMENTARY 2026
by Davide Abbatescianni
– Rosario Minervini’s documentary pieces together a vivid mosaic of unique characters living on the margins of Salerno-Reggio Calabria
After losing his job of twelve years, Mythic becomes a shepherd, living in a caravan without water or electricity. Elderly Pasquale salvages and repairs discarded objects to fill an inner void, whilst Mariagrazia practises target shooting daily, seeking purpose in a place with little hope. Francesca fights for civil rights in a land resistant to change. Ten-year-old Roberto lives like a boy from another era, training hunting dogs far from any screen, and Antonella, a lorry driver, embodies an unconventional freedom.
Blending observational footage with archival material from Istituto Luce and AAMOD, Tirrenica weaves a mosaic of these singular lives unfolding along the margins of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway.
This is the premise of Rosario Minervini’s debut feature, set to screen in the Newcomers strand of the upcoming Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival (5-15 March).
Tirrenica was produced by Claudio Esposito for The Piranesi Experience (Italy) and by Antonello Novellino and Maribel Ruiz Pascual for Belino Production (Spain), alongside associate producer Stefano Chiavarini for Limbo (Italy). The film received support from Creative MEDIA Europe, the Campania Region Cinema Plan and the Italian Ministry of Culture’s Cinema Department.
Check out our exclusive poster below:
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