Ever-escalating Italian tourism threatens the way of life of Cinque Terre’s blessed locals, who are caught in a possibly toxic codependent relationship with their summer season invaders. Sanitorium (AFF 2025) director Gar O’Rourke’s latest award-winning documentary asks us to ponder if this is sustainable, or if something has to give.
The Siege of Paradise
The Siege of Paradise
Director
Gar O’Rourke
Runtime
82 Minutes
Country
Ireland, Italy, Switzerland
Classification
Unclassified 15+
With Sanitorium (AFF 2025) documentary filmmaker Gar O’Rourke invited us to observe the guests and staff of a Ukrainian health retreat with strikingly brutalist surrounds as war raged with Russia. His latest documentary observes the impact of mass tourism on local residents as hordes of influencers swarm by boat to the rocky cliffs of tiny Cinque Terre. Where a stunning array of colourful homes cling to crags layered with vineyards that stretch down into the Ligurian Sea in northwestern Italy. You’ll fall in love with beautiful, occasionally begrudging, locals like frazzled mayor Fabrizia, cranky restaurateur Carmelo and affable vintner Bartalo, while rolling your eyes at the selfie stick-bearing masses that flood their cobbled streets without ever truly pausing to take stock. Premiering at Tribeca, where cinematographer Lukas Gut’s dreamy work received a special jury mention, O’Rourke’s snapshot invites us to ponder if the influx of tourism dollars is worth it. Or is it threatening time-honoured traditions?
“Immensely watchable and thought-provoking … with Sanatorium, O’Rourke has a knack for finding interesting characters and intriguing stories.”
Screen International
“The Siege of Paradise doesn’t take a purely didactic approach to its perspective; it’s up to the viewer to be critical enough to read between the lines.”
Cineuropa
“In The Siege of Paradise, even the act of looking becomes part of a wider conversation, and O’Rourke’s self-awareness plays a crucial role in making the film so compelling. He refuses to present overtourism as a problem with a simple solution, because the dynamic is far more complex.”
Modern Times
Tribeca
Melbourne
Film Credits
Director
Gar O’Rourke
Year
2026
Country
Ireland, Italy & Switzerland
Language
English & Italian
Subtitles
English
Type
Feature Documentary
Program Strand
World Documentary
Producer
Andrew Freedman, Ken Wardrop & Jessie Hayden
Cinematographer
Lukas Gut
Editor
John Murphy
Film Source
Metfilm
Genre
Documentary
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