Dockworkers

Synopsis

Between 2019 and 2023, dockworkers in Genoa who came together as C.A.L.P. (Collettivo Autonomo Lavoratori Portuali / Autonomous Dockworkers’ Collective) organised strikes, protests, and blockades to stop arms shipments through their port, defend workplace safety, and revive a tradition of militant trade unionism. They challenged authorities and unions over materials that would be used in wars far from home, refusing to play any part in those wars, directly or indirectly. The film follows José, Riccardo, and Bruno, key figures in the resistance, through their political actions and solidarity, as they continue their struggle against industrial and state power. It also reveals the political and human cost of that collective struggle.

Director Biography

Perla Sardella

Italian artist and filmmaker working across documentary, photography, sound, and video installation. Combining experimentation and observation, her work explores archival materials, personal narratives, and collective memory. Her 2019 documentary won First Prize in the Prospettive section at the Filmmaker Festival in Milan, while her 2020 experimental short was selected for competition at Visions du Réel. Her later practice has also expanded into podcast, sound, and performance. She lives and works in Genoa, where she also teaches at a high school.

Credits

Cinematography / Sinematografi

Perla Sardella

Editing / Kurgu

Perla Sardella

Music / Müzik

Matteo Casari

Sound / Ses

Massimo Mariani

Production / Yapım

Marco Longo, Fulvio Lombardi