What Is Fiume o morte! About?
The premise of Fiume o morte! in 315 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
markdown On the streets of present-day Rijeka, director Igor Bezinović gathers locals around a name that still stirs complicated feelings: Gabriele D’Annunzio, the Italian poet, playwright, and military figure whose shadow has long lingered over the city. Once known as Fiume, Rijeka became the stage for a dramatic chapter in post-World War I history, and the film treats that chapter as a living conversation rather than a settled story. The mood is reflective, layered, and quietly provocative, hinting at the rise of ideologies that would reshape the wider world.
The film blurs the boundaries between documentary and dramatization with a playful hand. Archival photographs, voice-over narration, staged reenactments, and present-day interviews weave into a tapestry that mirrors the act of remembering itself. Auditions, rehearsals, and discussions about the historical material become part of the experience, drawing viewers behind the curtain of how a city’s memory is constructed — what to preserve, what to reframe, what to question. Residents of Rijeka take on roles as D’Annunzio, his soldiers, and citizens caught in the era’s events, their performances doubling as civic participation.
D’Annunzio emerges as a figure of contradictions — a poet wielding influence like a weapon, a nationalist whose ambitions carried weight for the people of Fiume. Through multiple performers stepping into his persona, the film captures the slippery nature of legacy, suggesting that no single portrayal can contain him. Settings that mix historical sites with everyday corners of modern Rijeka lend immediacy to the past while keeping the present in view.
What lingers is the question of what a community chooses to remember, and how those choices shape its identity. Streets, monuments, and stories form the vocabulary of belonging, and the film treats every recollection, every rehearsal, every whispered doubt as a thread in that larger fabric. It is a portrait less of one man than of a city learning to speak its own name.
What Happens in Fiume o morte!?
The complete story of Fiume o morte!, from the first scene to the last, in 577 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 7 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In present-day Rijeka, director Igor Bezinović invites locals to reflect on Gabriele D’Annunzio, the Italian poet and nationalist who occupied the city, then known as Fiume, in the wake of World War I. The responses become more than memories; they form a threaded examination of how the occupation is remembered, mythologized, or questioned within the town’s ongoing story. The film gently probes what the episode still signifies for the city’s identity, inviting viewers to weigh how history is spoken, shown, and reconstructed in the present.
The occupation is brought to life through a rich, layered cinematic method: archival photographs and footage sit beside voice-over narration, documentary sequences, and staged reenactments performed largely by residents of Rijeka. The process itself is part of the narrative, offering a window into how histories are built. Auditions, rehearsals, preparations, and in-depth discussions about the historical material used to stage the reenactments reveal a communal effort to grapple with a complex past and to decide what to keep, what to reframe, and what to question.
The film’s cast of participants includes performances by several individuals who portray D’Annunzio, as well as others who embody soldiers and people tied to the era’s events. The performances are anchored by the voices and bodies of local contributors, whose involvement blurs the line between documentarian and subject, creating a living dialogue between then and now. The actors guiding these scenes include Ćenan Beljulji, Tihomir Buterin, Izet Medošević, Andrea Marsanich, Albano Vučetić, Massimo Ronzani, and Milovan Večerina Cico, each stepping into roles as D’Annunzio and as the soldiers and citizens who cross his path. Their performances are not merely reenactments; they are investigations into how a city’s memory is formed and re-formed.
As the narrative unfolds, the film anchors itself in the historical arc of D’Annunzio’s arrival in Fiume in September 1919 and his bold campaign to annex the city to Italy. The storytelling weaves between present-day sites and archival material to recreate the arc—speeches, military gatherings, ceremonies, and other events that defined the occupation. The immediacy of the present-day locations lends a tactile realism to the past, while the archival images provide a document of the era that the re-enactments seek to interpret and re-present. The film also places the establishment of the Italian Regency of Carnaro within this timeline and highlights the friction that developed between D’Annunzio and the Italian government, underscoring the political complexities behind a seemingly cinematic moment in history.
The construction of the narrative continually invites reflection on memory itself. By showing auditions, rehearsals, and the debates over which materials to use, the film makes visible the ethical and editorial choices behind historical storytelling. The result is a thoughtful, sometimes provocative portrait of how a single historical episode can cast long shadows over a city’s self-perception, its monuments, its street names, and the voices that tell its stories.
The occupation’s climax arrives with the December 1920 confrontation between D’Annunzio’s forces and the Italian military, a turning point that the film treats not as a finite end but as a hinge in memory—one that redirects present-day discussions about sovereignty, legitimacy, and the cost of national aspiration. After this confrontation, the film circles back to present-day Rijeka, returning to the residents who participated in the reenactments. By closing the loop with contemporary recollections, the film makes a case for memory as an ongoing process: a living dialogue between the city’s past and its present, continually reinterpreted by those who continue to tell its story.
Fiume o morte! Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Present-day inquiry about D'Annunzio” to “Reenactment as collective memory-work”. 12 events name a place, across 4 locations.
- 1
Present-day inquiry about D'Annunzio
In present-day Rijeka, director Igor Bezinović asks local residents what they know about Gabriele d'Annunzio. Their varying recollections set the frame for how memory shapes the film's approach. The questions themselves become part of the documentary's exploration of the past.
When:Present-day Where:Rijeka
- 2
Archival material and rehearsal process
The film reconstructs the occupation using archival photographs and footage, weaving them with narration. It also follows auditions, rehearsals, and discussions about what historical material to stage, showing how the reenactments are assembled. The process makes the boundary between documentary evidence and performance deliberately porous.
When:Present-day Where:Rijeka
- 3
D'Annunzio arrives in Fiume
D'Annunzio arrives in Fiume in September 1919, signaling the start of his bid to annex the city to Italy. The sequence blends archival images with staged reenactments to convey the atmosphere of the moment. Local participants portray the key arrivals and first ceremonies.
When:September 1919 Where:Fiume (Rijeka)
- 4
Campaign to annex Fiume
D'Annunzio leads a campaign to annex Fiume to Italy, turning the city into a political theater. The film depicts speeches, marches, and ceremonial moments that illustrate the intensity of his push. The scenes emphasize how rhetoric translated into action on the streets.
When:1919-1920 Where:Fiume
- 5
Recreation using contemporary locations and archives
The film uses contemporary Rijeka locations alongside archival material to recreate speeches, military gatherings, and ceremonial events. This hybrid approach makes the past feel immediate and physically present in the present city. The interplay of real places and archival images anchors the reenactments.
When:1919-1920 Where:Fiume/Rijeka
- 6
Participants as D'Annunzio and others
Participants portray D'Annunzio, soldiers, and people connected to the events, illustrating how memory is distributed among the community. The performances reveal personal links to history and show how several residents inhabit multiple roles. The blend of voices highlights memory as a contested, shared project.
When:During occupation (1919-1920) Where:Rijeka
- 7
Establishment of the Italian Regency of Carnaro
The film depicts the establishment of the Italian Regency of Carnaro in the occupied city. It shows the political reorganizations and ceremonial aspects surrounding D'Annunzio's authority. The sequences emphasize how the regime tried to legitimize its rule through ritual and public spectacle.
When:1919-1920 Where:Fiume
- 8
Conflict with the Italian government
A central tension unfolds as D'Annunzio's regime clashes with the Italian government back in Rome. The documentary explores political discord, the limits of D'Annunzio's unilateral actions, and the strain on his authority. The portrayal invites reflection on the boundaries between rebellion and state power.
When:1920 Where:Fiume
- 9
Confrontation and end of occupation
The occupation ends with a confrontation between D'Annunzio's forces and the Italian military in December 1920. The film frames this moment as a turning point in Rijeka's history, with the city caught between two powers. Reenactments are juxtaposed with archival footage to emphasize the drama of the clash.
When:December 1920 Where:Fiume
- 10
Return to present-day Rijeka
The narrative returns to present-day Rijeka and the residents who participated in the reenactments. These contemporary voices connect the historical events to the city’s current identity and memory practices. The film closes the loop by reflecting on how the past continues to shape Rijeka today.
When:Present-day Where:Rijeka
- 11
Memory in Rijeka’s local culture
The film emphasizes how Fiume's memory lives in Rijeka's local culture and memory practices. The residents' recollections reveal how history persists through performance and dialogue. They demonstrate that memory is an ongoing, collaborative act.
When:Present-day Where:Rijeka
- 12
Reenactment as collective memory-work
Through staged reenactments performed largely by locals, memory work becomes a collaborative act. The process of auditions, rehearsals, and material selection itself becomes part of the story. The film shows how memory is produced as a social act rather than a fixed record.
When:Present-day Where:Rijeka
Who Are the Main Characters in Fiume o morte!?
3 characters, among them Gabriele D’Annunzio, Residents of Rijeka (ensemble) and Igor Bezinović (director): who each one is and the part they play in the story.
- GD
Gabriele D’Annunzio
The central historical figure around the Fiume occupation, depicted through multiple performers. The film uses reenactments to explore his charisma, rhetoric, and political aims. Through these portrayals, audiences witness how myth and propaganda intertwine with history.
- 🗺️ Historical figure
- 🎤 Orator
- RO
Residents of Rijeka (ensemble)
A collective of local participants who perform roles of soldiers, citizens, and officials. Their involvement demonstrates how ordinary people become stewards of memory. The film documents auditions, rehearsals, and collaborative storytelling that connect past events to present life.
- 🎭 Ensemble
- 👥 Community
- IB
Igor Bezinović (director)
The filmmaker framing the documentary, guiding interviews and the reconstruction of events. He frames the past through archival material, narration, and staged scenes, linking it to present-day Rijeka. The process includes debates about material selection and the balance between documentary and reenactment.
- 🎬 Director
- 🧭 Frame narrative
Where and When Is Fiume o morte! Set?
Fiume o morte! is set in Rijeka and Fiume (1919-1920). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1919-1920
The events unfold in the immediate post-World War I era. The narrative follows D’Annunzio’s arrival in Fiume in September 1919 and his campaign to annex the city to Italy. The occupation ends with a confrontation in December 1920, before returning to present-day Rijeka.
Where
Rijeka, Fiume
Rijeka is a Croatian port city on the Adriatic. Known historically as Fiume, it carries a layered past of shifting national claims, which the film links to present-day memory. The city’s streets and harbor backdrop archival material and reenactments that connect history to today.
- 🏙️ City
- 🗺️ History
What Are the Themes of Fiume o morte!?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Memory, Reenactment and Sovereignty.
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01
Memory
Memory of the occupation shapes the city’s identity and its inhabitants. The film frames how local recollections survive through stories, images, and staged scenes. It shows how history is kept alive in daily spaces and conversations. The interplay between past and present underlines how memory informs civic identity.
-
02
Reenactment
Archive photographs, narration, documentary footage, and staged reenactments converge to reconstruct Fiume’s occupation. Residents of Rijeka perform roles of D’Annunzio, soldiers, and townspeople, turning memory into living theater. The process includes auditions, rehearsals, and discussions about which materials to use. This approach blurs lines between documentary and performance, inviting viewers to participate in the reconstruction of history.
-
03
Sovereignty
D’Annunzio’s bid to annex Fiume reflects broader questions of national sovereignty and power. The film details the clash between his forces and the Italian government, as well as the establishment of the Italian Regency of Carnaro. It highlights the struggle over who controls the city and how such claims shape regional memory. The final confrontation marks a turning point in the historical narrative and its memory in Rijeka.
What Kind of Film Is Fiume o morte!?
Melancholic in tone, with slow pacing and a complex story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Complex
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A contemplative documentary that meditatively weaves archival footage with community reenactments, gently probing how a city's memory of a controversial historical occupation continues to shape its present identity.
- reflective
- meditative
- layered
- archival
- contemplative
- gentle
- historical memory
- fascism
- italian nationalism
- collective identity
Content notes: political extremism, war violence, racial slurs, references to fascism.
Quiz
How well do you remember Fiume o morte!? Test yourself on the story.
