When Sardinian-Australian Lisa Camillo, an anthropologist and film director, returns to Sardinia, an island of Italy, after an 18 year absence to find her homeland decimated by mysterious bombings, she uncovers a secret NATO mission with devastating consequences for her people and for future generations.
‘Balentes’ is a Sardinian word indicating ‘a man of valour’, who strives for social justice, defending the weak against the oppressors. Balentes - The Brave Ones is a provocative documentary seeking accountability for the ruthless exploitation of Sardinia’s resources. Armed with her camera, Lisa sets out to expose the unacceptable. Outside the high-end luxury resorts accessible only to the world’s elite, Sardinia is being driven to poverty. Plagued by unemployment and illnesses attributed to environmental contamination from successive waves of heavy mining and military testing, large areas of the island have been reduced to wasteland.
What has happened to the place of her childhood? Is it still her home? Balentes - The Brave Ones weaves together a personal journey of belonging with the mobilising of a community to take back their beautiful island paradise.
Tuesday 11th September
82 min
15+
Film Festival
