A new documentary uses the residents of a modern Croatian port city to re-stage one of the 20th century’s most peculiar political episodes. The film explores the 1919 takeover of the city, then known as Fiume, by the flamboyant Italian poet and nationalist Gabriele D’Annunzio.
Following the First World War, the city, with its mixed population, was not annexed by Italy as many had anticipated. Instead, it fell under the control of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. In response, D’Annunzio, a charismatic and controversial figure, led a band of several hundred irregulars to seize the city. He declared it an independent state under his personal rule, a bold act that captured international attention.
The film employs a unique approach, casting local men to play the part of D’Annunzio in a series of re-enactments. These scenes, staged to resemble historical photographs, lend the documentary a tone that is at once playful and deeply thought-provoking. The choice of actors, including a former military officer, subtly suggests that the impulses of nationalism are not confined to any single nation or era.
D’Annunzio’s regime, though short-lived, became a blueprint for later fascist movements. His use of mass rallies, patriotic songs, and political spectacle was closely studied by admirers like Benito Mussolini. The regime’s aggressive stance towards the city’s non-Italian majority, including attacks on businesses, foreshadowed the darker political violence that would engulf Europe.
By revisiting this strange chapter through the eyes of its present-day inhabitants, the documentary becomes more than a history lesson. It is a reflection on how communities process complex legacies and a reminder of the enduring power of nationalist myth-making. The film transforms a local story into a universal cautionary tale about the allure and danger of political strongmen.
