A-Infos (en) Sicilia Libertaria 2-24: The incendiary fiction of Stromboli (ca, de, it, pt, tr) [machine translation]

Not everything is marketing, it is still possible to reject the 
dictatorship of tourism, in the long run the deceptions of language are 
revealed: these are the possible lessons that the incredible Stromboli 
story gives us. To reflect on it, however, we need to take a step back. 
---- On the night between 25 and 26 May, a fire devastated the island of 
Stromboli, sending over five hectares of Mediterranean scrub up in 
smoke. It is mainly the sides of the volcano of the Aeolian archipelago 
that are burning, but the flames still reach the homes. The summer 
season hasn't started yet, even if the first tourists are already 
showing up. They too lend a hand to the forty inhabitants who, shocked 
by that sudden fire which took little time to spread given the strong 
sirocco wind of those days, live permanently on Stromboli. The usual 
question about the origin of the fire, arson or negligence, goes away 
almost immediately. The responsibilities are blamed on the set of a 
drama on Civil Protection, which is being filmed on the island in those 
days.

Produced and created by the company "11 Marzo Produzione Film", it is 
actually a Rai fiction: the company, in fact, has for some time chosen 
to outsource the entire production of its products, with the excuse of 
cost containment, actually giving up in this way to its role as a 
"public service" and limiting itself to acquiring ready-made formats and 
dramas like any private broadcaster. It turns out that it was the drama 
crew who lit a fire, they said they would simulate a small blaze for the 
needs of the scene, but obviously not being capable, the situation got 
out of hand. It seems that they didn't have the necessary authorizations 
and that not even the real firefighters were present, but that's not 
what matters.

A few months pass, the vegetation on Stromboli continues to disappear, 
there are those who point out that the absence of trees and plants will 
be felt with the first rains. This is exactly what happens in August of 
the same year, when the storm is followed by the flood that brings 
Stromboli to its knees. And, once again, only with the effort of those 
who live on the island can the streets and houses be freed from mud. In 
the meantime, the Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto prosecutor's office opens an 
investigation which sees 11 people under investigation, almost all on 
charges of negligent environmental disaster, while for the local 
administrators the alleged omission of official acts is also added, so 
as not to having started work to make the island safe. Because beyond 
the judicial findings, which are of little interest to us here, the fact 
remains that the whole of Sicily is largely unprepared for any extreme 
meteorological event.

In Stromboli, meanwhile, the Municipality certifies that between fire 
and flood there is at least 70 million euros in damage. Who pays? Rai 
washed its hands of it for a year and a half, explaining that "it did 
not intervene in any way in the executive phase of the filming, which 
took place at the exclusive expense of the production company". In 
mid-December 2023, however, Maria Pia Ammirati , director of Rai 
Fiction, pulls a great bullshit out of the hat: screening the first 
episode of the drama, which in the meantime has been quietly completed, 
right in Stromboli. In what should be "a preview event that can involve 
the entire community of the island by rebuilding the relationship 
between the public service and the community", also promising to 
guarantee more "space and prominence in our programming to the sun, the 
sea, the scents of Stromboli". A proposal that is offensive, in front of 
people and places that have lost a lot, and which fortunately is also 
rejected by the local administration. "Only contact us when you have a 
serious proposal for compensation for the damage suffered by the island" 
says the mayor Riccardo Gullo.

The final step in this story, at least for now, is delivered by the CEO 
of Rai Roberto Sergio in a parliamentary hearing. Sergio denies the 
screening of the drama even on Rai channels, at least until there is an 
ongoing proceeding, and simply adds that "Rai has been close to the 
citizens, wants to continue the path of knowledge and valorisation of 
the places and is available to evaluate any form of collaboration with 
the mayor and the inhabitants of Stromboli".

What struck me most about this whole affair is the fictional world in 
which power has long lived. How can we continue to chatter about 
"community" in the face of enormous damage caused by the usual 
extractivist logic whereby every place is commodified, reduced to a 
postcard landscape to be displayed on screens? Where every place becomes 
a location and even slow life is transformed into a trend on social 
media, it is possible to conceive a fiction even on civil protection, 
because even the most boring of government bodies must be promoted 
through trivializations of messages and sentimental stories, and instead 
to delve deeper into and analyze the pervasiveness and distortions of an 
oppressive system, better than the fake revival of a drama to be watched 
all together, destroyed and destroyers, united by the dazzling beauty of 
Stromboli and the whole of Sicily, do you want to add the sea and granitas?

The dignity with which the inhabitants of Stromboli have so far rejected 
yet another stereotyped and false narrative must be the starting point 
of a re-appropriation from below by those who live in the territories. 
Just as it must be clear that those who speculate on it, as demonstrated 
by the Rai case, not only escape from responsibility but also try to 
turn the damage into a further opportunity for profit. Fiction burns, 
let's burn fiction.

Andrea Turco

https://www.sicilialibertaria.it/
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