Tirrenica

The highway that connects the Italian city of Salerno, just south of Naples to Reggio Calabria on the tip of the country’s “boot” is about 268 miles long and took more than 60 years to construct. Documentarian Rosario Minervini takes us on a road trip along it in Tirrenica, stopping off to observe many of the lives of many who live close to it, or drive along it while also weaving in archival footage of its construction.

The result is a documentary that has its moments in terms of the characters who are observed but suffers from a lack of cohesive editing and, most crucially, a map to help orient non-Italian viewers. While the amount of kilometres travelled is noted with each stop-off, it’s not a lot of help if you don’t have an idea of the route in your mind's eye to start with.

“What matters is sincerity,” says trucker Antonella – who has the nickname “Little Mermaid” – as she drives the route. The phrase is apt for a film which has an honesty in its largely observational style, as Minervini, acting as his own cinematographer, dips in and out of various lives over a period of four years. Other people we meet include Pasquale “the hoarder”, who brings home bric-a-brac he finds and young Roberto “the hunter”, who is busy training his dogs with additional characters including “the shepherd” and “the sharpshooter”.

Minervini’s use of the archive shows skill, finding connections between the past and present, including car construction and breaking up. The older footage also helps to crystalise the dreams of those who hoped the new connection would bring prosperity with it to the south.

The observational approach deprives the audience of a deeper connection to bigger questions of the sociopolitical backdrop of the road, which means it feels slight even at about an hour. The press notes are full of lovely biographical detail which, sadly, does not make it to the screen because of this choice.

Minervini has an eye for an interesting character and is adept at showing them without the camera being obvious but his documentary would benefit from more information to help the viewer connect the dots between the places he visits and the time periods he evokes.

Reviewed on: 06 Apr 2026