On isolated trails with Simona Caminada
Sicily – Setting off for a better future
3sat Documentary 2024
The fourth and final part of the Unknown Italy series takes correspondent Simona Caminada and her travel companion, Yuri Basilicò, to Sicily. The island is a land of contrasts, blending unspoiled nature, the active volcano Mount Etna, and idyllic villages with the challenges of high unemployment, rural exodus, and organized crime. Throughout their journey, Simona and Yuri meet courageous individuals who refuse to let the adverse circumstances get them down. For instance, a young mother defies Italy’s declining birth rate by choosing to have a child, despite the sacrifices she must make. They also meet the head of an agricultural cooperative in an area previously confiscated from the mafia—a challenging role in one of Italy’s driest regions, where the criminal organization still remains omnipresent. Simona and Yuri also visit Gangi, where homes in need of renovation are being sold for just one euro in hopes of revitalizing the village and saving it from decay.
Direction: Maria-Christina Degen
Script: Maria-Christina Degen and Yuri Basilicò
Producer and Production: 3sat/SRF
Editor: Sandra Nünlist
Camera: Roman Schmid
Redaction: Silvan Lerch und Lisa Röösli
Editorial Management: Raja Autze
Photo credits: Maria-Christina Degen except 1 and 5 Roman Schmid
The ‘Sentiero Italia’ or Grand Italian trail is one of the longest hiking trails in the world. The trail leads to Sicily, an island of striking contrasts: unspoiled nature, the active volcano Etna and idyllic villages coexist with unemployment, rural exodus and the mafia.
Italy correspondent Simona Caminada embarks on a journey of discovery to Sicily. It is the last stage of her Sentiero adventure for the Swiss journalist. On her way, she meets courageous people who defy the adverse living conditions, bring the abandoned villages back to life with original ideas and who campaign for a Sicily without the mafia. She dares to climb Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano, standing over 3000 meters high.
Hiking the trail offers Simona Caminada the opportunity to explore portions of Italy by foot. She typically reports for Swiss television from major cities. For her route, she chose the Sentiero Italia, leading her over 7,000 kilometers from the north of Italy to the south, touching the most remote corners. Italian guide Yuri Basilicò, who opened the trail, is accompanying the Swiss correspondent on her journey. He not only knows the route inside out but also introduces her to friends, family and acquaintances. Simona Caminada hopes that her encounters will give her a deeper insight into people’s everyday lives.
The stories of the locals are thought-provoking. Sicily is light and shadow, an island with a rich past in search of a future. Many foreign conquerors have left their legacy here: Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and the Hohenstaufen. Today, Sicily faces challenges such as unemployment, emigration and the mafia while remaining economically disconnected from northern Italy.
But Simona Caminada meets people on the sunny island who are addressing the challenges. For example, Alice Pantano: the young mother has defied the trend and decided to have a child and stay on the island. To survive, however, she has to work two jobs and make crucial compromises. There is also Alessandro Cilibrasi in the village of Gangi. He arranges houses in extreme need of renovation that cost just 1 euro and hopes to revitalize the village and save it from decay. Simona Caminada also meets Attila in Argimusco, the “Sicilian Stonehenge”. The horse whisperer tells her why the place is a source of strength for him and why he was stranded in Sicily 50 years ago.
For Luca Li Vecchi, a social project is the incentive to stay on the island. He runs an agricultural cooperative on land the government confiscated from the mafia. This is not an easy job, as Sicily is considered one of the driest regions in Italy and the Mafia is still omnipresent.
Simona Caminada and her hiking companion Yuri Basilicò take the opportunity to climb to the summit of the active volcano Etna experiencing beautiful vistas and unspoiled nature. An ascent both awe-inspiring and challenging.
Filmed from the perspective of the correspondent, the film tells various facets of the life of Sicilian life, highlighting powerful stories of individuals filled with courage and hope for a brighter future.