During my residency in Season 2, I encountered the story of the group Il Cianuro, or as they are more often called in the village, de I Cianuro. During the week in Oppido Lucano, we collected some material, testimonies, and interviews, which were then developed over the following months into a short documentary project. In addition to the material collected in the field, some rare archive material depicting the group was recovered, produced between the late 1970s and early 1980s on various occasions by Rai Basilicata.
The story of I Cianuro immediately caught my attention. It is a story that is still alive in local memory, not just a distant nostalgia. The story of I Cianuro tells us a lot about Oppido today, about the conflict between innovation and tradition, about the dual reality that permeates many areas of the town. But it is also a story about youth and dreams, about belonging and the desire to leave.

Below is a short excerpt from the film and a fact sheet, the poster, plus some images taken during filming.

Synopsis

Oppido Lucano, Potenza, mid-1970s. In a Basilicata that is still rural and archaic, a group of young people listen to, dream about, and live progressive rock. In a damp basement, within the walls of a town that seems frozen in time, they rehearse and hope to continue playing together, perhaps even venturing beyond the region's borders. Combining observations of the present with archival material, the film searches for traces of a small story, that of the band Cianuro, which, with rock music and hopes of revolution, sought to give voice to the aspirations of a South torn between change and resistance.

Credits

Directed and written by: Eleonora Mastropietro 
Subject: Daniele Ietri, Eleonora Mastropietro
Starring: Tonino Lioi, Angelo Palumbo, Antonietta Polichiso

Camera: Paolo Martelli
Editing: Eleonora Mastropietro
Direct Sound: Daniele Ietri 
Sound Design and Mix: Massimo Mariani
Assistant Sound Design and Mix: Silvia Brizzi
Color grading: Pietro De Tilla
Graphic Design: ascionemagro

Archival Footage: Courtesy of RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana s.p.a. Direzione Teche
Photographs: Alessio Zemoz from the project “Seventy-two Love Photographs in Full Light”

Produced by: Associazione La Fournaise 
In collaboration with: ENECEFilm

Project developed within the research residency “Studi sul Qui” held in Oppido Lucano (Pz) in July 2022