Living on an Isolated Italian Island: A Tale of 100 Residents and Their Bread Obsession
For the 100 or so inhabitants of this island, the idyllic image of paradise only holds true for a portion of the year. The lack of a hospital necessitates ferry trips or helicopter rides for medical care. During the winter, the school's doors remain closed due to dwindling attendance, as per Italian photographer Camilla Marrese's observations during her visit during the Covid-19 pandemic. The island boasts a couple of grocery stores and a social hub bar, but the bar's brief operating period merely serves as the annual gathering point.
Residents greet each other at the pier when boats make their appearances, keeping track of arrivals and departures. Those living further from the pier make do with binoculars, ensuring they do not miss a soul entering or leaving the island. Marrese and her collaborator Gabriele Chiapparini spent two months exploring the island, capturing its natural beauty and befriending its inhabitants. Their documentation of this enduring isolation is compiled in "Thinking Like an Island," a book filled with sobering portraits and landscape images.
It is believed that Alicudi has been populated since the 17th century BC, though its current population is markedly different due to migration both toward and away from the island. The inhabitants now comprise a mix of long-term locals, some of whom self-deprecatingly label themselves as "indigenous," and newer arrivals from Europe seeking a peaceful existence.
Marrese spoke about the individuals seeking a retreat from the pandemic's impacts, the climate crisis, and global pollution. Coexistence, despite the scarcity of meeting places and shared spaces, remains steady, with residents supporting one another and demonstrating tight-knit bonds. However, Marrese highlighted that the isolation, despite fostering a sense of community, unveils its own set of conflicts and petty squabbles.
The island's mentality and transient population help the residents quickly develop relationships and earn trust. The photographers found that the locals appreciate building connections swiftly and adapting to the high turnover of tourists and temporary residents.
The portraits in "Thinking Like an Island" showcase islanders in nature or on the shore beneath ominous skies, often with their names or faces obscured to protect their privacy. Alicudi's rich folklore only adds to the intrigue surrounding the island, with its annual procession honoring Saint Bartolo and traditional practices like weaving and caper harvesting.
Dating back to the 1950s, local bread was contaminated by a rye fungus called ergot, the same substance used to make LSD. The consumption of this "crazy rye" or "horned rye" may have contributed to various local legends, like the flying women, known as "maiara," in the Aeolian dialect.
Marrese and Chiapparini also delved into the island's culture and history, eager to portray Alicudi as neither utopia nor dystopia. However, development, particularly in the realm of tourism, has shaped the island's economy and demographics, transforming the living conditions for the residents. Alicudi has seen its infrastructure, economy, and lifestyle change significantly, with tourism providing a new source of revenue.
Residents now predominantly work in construction, either renovating or building houses to rent to tourists during the summer months. Electricity's advent in the 1990s and tourism's subsequent growth brought about wealth and change to the island. The photographers noted the shift in the populace, with most young men now making a living in construction rather than agriculture or fishing.
The images captured by Marrese and Chiapparini reflect the island's wild, untamed topography, with sculptural rock faces and steep crags. The filmmakers acknowledged the significant impact that the island's geography has on the spirit and outlook of its inhabitants, encouraging a deeper connection to the earth's rhythms.
The duo's experiences living on the island left an indelible mark on them, fostering a strong personal connection to the land and its people. They continue to maintain contact with several residents and say their stay on Alicudi broadened their perspective on life and society.
The arts community on Alicudi has a distinctive style, as evidenced by the island's rich folklore and traditional practices like weaving and caper harvesting, which are often showcased in local artworks. Visitors to the island are often drawn to these unique expressions of Alicudi's culture and history.
In capturing the island's natural beauty and the lives of its inhabitants, Marrese and Chiapparini's work showcases a fusion of their own artistic styles with the distinctive aesthetic of Alicudi's unique environment.
