La Rosa dell’Istria, released in 2024, is a historical drama that revisits one of the most painful and often overlooked chapters of post-war European history. The film focuses on the tragedy of Istrian and Dalmatian exiles following the armistice, grounding large historical events in an intimate personal story.
At the center of the narrative is Maddalena, an eighteen-year-old girl living in Canfanaro, Istria, whose greatest dream is to become a painter. Her youthful hope and artistic ambition reflect a fragile sense of peace that exists just before violence and political upheaval take hold.
As the war intensifies and Tito’s partisans arrive, Maddalena’s world is systematically destroyed. The loss of her family and the erasure of her future symbolize the broader suffering experienced by thousands of civilians forced into exile, stripped of home, identity, and belonging.
The film adopts a restrained and emotional tone, focusing on personal loss rather than battlefield spectacle. Through Maddalena’s perspective, history becomes deeply human, showing how political decisions and ideological conflict devastate ordinary lives.
