ADRIATIC

"Adriatic" is the name of the documentary film on ethnic-linguistic Croatian-Albanian minorities historically present in Molise, starting as early as the fifteenth century following the Ottoman invasion of the Balkan Peninsula.

The documentary has a dreamlike and narrative character. It contains two main chapters: the first dedicated to the Italian-Albanians, the second to the Italian-Croats.
The necessary epilogue with which the documentary film ends, indicates the contamination as an essential element of that inevitable cultural process that has always characterized human history.

The exodus does not deprive the people of its identity, on the contrary, it is strengthened and reintegrated into the territory in which it lives, becoming a constituent part of it.

The Albanian and Croatian communities have contributed to enriching the territories in which they have settled by introducing customs, traditions, and above all the language: the most important element of the identity and sense of belonging of a people.

Diversity and cultural contamination are often interpreted in a negative sense and not as a resource and mutual growth in contemporary society.
Furthermore, the title of the documentary emphasizes the main and determining role of the sea in the history of these populations.
A story that is repeated in today's migrations caused by unstable socio-political conditions in the countries of origin.

The link between Italy and the Balkans has ancient roots, dating back to the time of the Kingdom of Naples.
The Adriatic is the bridge that unites the two shores: it brings salvation, hope and ensures a future.

"Adriatic" derives from an extensive work of recovering the historical memory of the ethnic-linguistic minorities of Molise and of enhancing their languages, customs and traditions. A work made possible thanks to the involvement of researchers, academics, scholars, teachers and musicians.
The goal is to make known the reality of the Albanian and Croatian ethnic-linguistic communities that are located within the small region of Molise.

It is a priceless heritage, not only for our territory, but also for the entire nation, bringing them to the attention of the States of origin such as Albania and Croatia.
These communities are a collective good that must be preserved and encouraged so that they are not forgotten in history.

  • Cristiana Lucia Grilli
    Director
  • Cristiana Lucia Grilli
    Writer
  • Cristiana Lucia Grilli
    Producer
  • Francesco Toscani
    Producer
  • Francesco Toscani
    DOP
  • Goran Bregovic
    Key Cast
    "Goran Bregovic"
  • Francesco Storti
    Interview
  • Fernanda Pugliese
    Interview
  • Dritan Kraja
    Interview
  • Genti Bedalli
    Interview
  • Assunta Occhionero
    Interview
  • Maria Luisa Pignoli
    Interview
  • Angelo Giorgetta
    Interview
  • Giovanni Piccoli
    Interview
  • Walter Breu
    Interview
  • Lorenzo Blascetta
    Interview
  • Francesca Sammartino
    Interview
  • Giovanni Agresti
    Interview
  • Fiorenza Germana Grilli
    Actors
  • Chiara Galasso
    Actors
  • Sara Grilli
    Actors
  • Serena Miletti
    Actors
  • Nicolina Daniele
    Actors
  • Fabrizio Vernice
    Actors
  • Antonella Pelilli
    Musicians
  • Max Fuschetto
    Musicians
  • “Sùn Nà” - Max Fuschetto
    Soundtrack
  • “Medina”, “Porta Capuna” - Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare
    Soundtrack
  • “Far From The Land Of Eagles”, “E ìkura” - Silvana Licursi
    Soundtrack
  • “Duša našoga grada” Kroatarantata
    Soundtrack
  • “Znici Puze”, “Znici Puze II” - Elektrikeri
    Soundtrack
  • “Sve se more” - Alberi Sonori
    Soundtrack
  • Sara Grilli
    Graphics
  • Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Filosofici di Napoli
    Locations
  • Théâtre du Léman Genève
    Locations
  • Muzeu Kombëtar Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, Kruje
    Locations
  • Adriana Civitarese Studio Art Pescara
    Locations
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    ADRIATICO
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Mixed
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 28 minutes 17 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 30, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy
  • Language:
    Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Amazon Prime Video
    Rights: Video on Demand
Director Biography - Cristiana Lucia Grilli

Cristiana Lucia Grilli is a Director, Screenwriter and Founder of the Production Studio Creative Motion.

In 2017 she co-directed the docufilm "La Stanza Delle Pietre e Del Cielo" about mental asylum, supported by the Regione Campania and by the Festival Del Cinema Dei Diritti Umani Di Napoli.

In 2019 Cristiana wrote and directed the docufilm "Adriatico – Il mare che unisce" about the ancient ties between Italy and the Balkans with the partecipation of the well-known composer Goran Bregović. The documentary won several international prizes and was screened also at the Italian Embassy in Valona - Albania.

In 2023 Cristiana co-directed the short film "Viral Human Venice" with the participation of the well-known Italian theater director and actor Matteo Belli, supported by the Ministry of Culture.

In 2023 she wrote and co-directed the documentary "Sniper Alley - To My Brother" about war childhood.
The documentary was completed in June 2024. The Teaser has been launched in Bosnia on 3rd of May 2024 and was reported on the main Bosnian news outlets.

The international Première of "Sniper Alley - To My Brother" was held last August 18th at the 30th edition of the prestigious Sarajevo Film Festival with great success among the public and critics.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Adriatic" is a fascinating journey between Southern Italy and the Balkans to discover the Slav and Albanian communities that settled in the Molise territory as early as the fifteenth century, following the Ottoman invasion of the Balkan Peninsula.

"Adriatic" was born of a deep feeling of self-awareness of my personal history, which has its roots in an ancestral dimension that has no boundaries of time, space or even physical.
On the maternal side I belong to the Arbëreshë Molise community, descendant of the Albanians who crossed the sea hundreds and hundreds of years ago. On the paternal side, in the person of my grandmother, I inherited the Greek roots.
The Balkans have always been part of my existence and I have always been fascinated by them.

However, "Adriatic" is not an autobiography, even if it stems from a personal feeling.
The documentary contains, in fact, a whole world, exclusive and at the same time strong, which tells the story of peoples with absolute fidelity.
These peoples knew how to rebuild their lives, starting from themselves as an inexhaustible resource in the face of the frailty of life and the fragility of borders.

"Adriatic" is also the awareness of one's own cultural heritage. As a "molisana" I felt the urgent need to tell a reality, which for the moment is part of the sub-culture of our Nation, but that due to the increasingly pressing and overwhelming phenomenon of globalization, risks being swallowed up in the depths of the pages of History.

Documenting, therefore, is a cultural, moral and ethical duty, so that the roots that generate the sense of belonging in us, are transmitted to posterity with absolute fidelity, clarity and integrity, in the hope that posterity will know how to reap the benefits and, maybe, make the next step.