On 15, 16 and 17 June 2026, Daniele Vicari’s DIAZ returns to cinemas as a special event promoted by Fandango, marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the tragic events that took place at the “Diaz” school in Genoa during the G8 summit. Director of photography Gherardo Gossi CCS.
It’s 20 July 2001, and the press’s attention is gripped by the clashes between protesters and police during the G8 summit in Genoa. Word reaches the newsroom of the death of Carlo Giuliani. Luca (Elio Germano) decides to set off for Genoa, wanting to see for himself what’s going on. Shortly before midnight, hundreds of police officers storm the Diaz-Pascoli school complex, the headquarters of the Genoa Social Forum, which had been turned into a dormitory for the occasion. Leading the charge is Unit VII, commanded by Max (Claudio Santamaria), followed by DIGOS and Flying Squad officers, while the carabinieri cordon off the block. What follows is an outright massacre. By the time Max orders his men to halt, it’s too late. The 93 people inside the school, placed under arrest, are subjected to horrific violence despite having offered no resistance whatsoever.
A Fandango production, co-produced with Mandragora Movies (Romania) and Le Pacte (France), in association with Sofica A Plus Image 3, with the support of the Centrul National al Cinematografiei, made with the contribution of the Directorate-General for Cinema, Italian Ministry of Culture, and with the participation of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-South Tyrol and BLS.
A Fandango production, co-produced with Mandragora Movies (Romania) and Le Pacte (France), in association with Sofica A Plus Image 3, with the support of the Centrul National al Cinematografiei, made with the contribution of the Directorate-General for Cinema, Italian Ministry of Culture, and with the participation of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-South Tyrol and BLS.
Gherardo Gossi ci ha raccontato:
«Diaz It’s a political film, one that brought together our experience of fiction and documentary filmmaking. Our points of reference were mainly the documentaries shot at the time of the G8 — a wealth of footage. Indeed, the Genoa G8 was one of the first events to receive blanket media coverage: there was not just the official perspective, but also footage shot by the protesters themselves, independent material that gave us an understanding of the drama of those days. That footage became a source of inspiration for shaping a visual approach marked by a strong sense of realism. For me, the reference film was Bloody Sunday by Paul Greengrass, centred on the unrest in Ulster, Northern Ireland; I was struck by its use of the handheld camera, its visual power, and the realism it managed to convey through its images. Diaz is a project very close to producer Domenico Procacci’s heart. It was without doubt the one on which he was most hands-on — not only in terms of financial commitment, but also in terms of his political commitment to telling the truth about what happened. ».
