Rent Strike Bolognina
16th september 2022
7:10 PM
Italian Contest – New Talent First Work
Short Synopsys:
Rent Strike Bolognina gives voice to the residents of Via Serlio 6 in Bologna, Italy. In response to the economic struggles brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, in March 2020 they decide to unite against the greed of the landlord, in order to see their right to have a house fulfilled against those who speculate on primary needs. Inspired by the international “Rent Strike” movement born in the USA, Rent Strike Bolognina becomes the first and the most extensive rent strike caused by Covid-19 in Italy.
Director’s statement:
In the first few minutes, the camera moves between the flats of the tenants in Via Serlio 6, showing the people involved in the strike, the forms of housing present, the changes in the domestic sphere generated by the pandemic, the adaptation strategies and emotions of the tenants. Through participant observation, the viewer is immediately made aware of the motivations that led to the strike. The red thread that immediately guides the director is the multiple interest in that contamination between political militancy, necessity and simple solidarity.