FRG, IT 1981 | Directors: Edith Marcello (former Schmidt), David Wittenberg | Editorial Staff: Fritz Breuer | Camera: Alberto Montani | Editor: Regine Heuser | Sound: Barbara Strauch | Production: Edith Marcello (former Schmidt), David Wittenberg, WDR | Colour | 16mm | 109 min | italian OV with german SUB | DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum

A new type of land cooperative has existed since 1976/77 (about 400 were created in a short time). Unemployed youth, agricultural workers, farmers, people from different professions began to cultivate fallow land, which – often after the land had been occupied – was allocated to them for lease by communal or regional institutions (if these were administered by left-wing coalitions). [...]

We filmed in Bologna in the summer of 1977, and also worked with some of the traditionally organised cooperatives there. [...] At the time, new land occupations were beginning all over Italy. We thought it would be productive to make a film about this kind of back-to-the-land movement, to reflect on the relationship between cities and the countryside, between industry and agriculture, in the early stage of these new experiments. We wanted to capture these experiences. [...] We worked to get by without commentary, but also without interviews and statements. We wanted to let the realities of everyday life and work develop out of very normal situations. This required us to remain in one cooperative that was able to stand for many others. It was crucial that we take a lot of time to select the cooperative, to prepare, and to film. (Edith Marcello and David Wittenberg, information sheet on the film, Verleihgenossenschaft der Filmemacher e.G., not dated.)