PRODUCTIONS: SPRING CONCERT

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D. Cini, G. Pancaldi, A. D'Onofrio, F, Armati, E. Armati

SD Cinematografica

30'

16 mm

The lagoon of Comacchio, together with the Po river delta, comprise the largest swamp area in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. Every spring the tiny islands scattered throughout these marshlands are invaded by millions of terns, gulls and other birds. They fight over tiny bits of land that could suddenly be swallowed up by a suerg of water. The documentary tells the story of the territorial battles, courting behaviour and plight of the newly born, all at a frantic pace in this densely populated bird colony. Here each species has developed its particular strategy for survival in this raucous forced cohabitation.
The life of millions of water birds depends on tiny organisms livinbg in the changing world of sand and mud. The interstitial fauna, living between the grains of sand and mud, is a hidden microcosm waiting to be discovered.
It's surprising to learn that life doesn't consist only of what is apparent to the naked eye. The troupe of "Wild Side of Europe" discovers a hidden world right under our eyes, one that we never thought existed. During the course of the millenniums, millions of living creatures managed to conquer the interstitial environment, evolving and adapting themselves to these particolar aquatic surroundings made up of myriads of minute spaces.
Of minuscule dimensions, these micro-organisms are excellent biological indicators of the quality of the environment. In fact, they are usually the first victims of marine pollution.