Representations of Eritrea in Italian Documentaries (1951–2015)

This study presents an overview of documentaries on Eritrea and Eritreans made for an Italian audience between 1951 and 2015. During the immediate post-war years, Italian filmmakers visually constructed the ex-colonised as ‘nostalgic others’ whose representations aimed to repossess the past. Later, between 1960–2000, there is an utter institutional silence about colonialism that is reflected by the almost non-existent production of related documentaries. The few works from this period offer crucial insights on Italy’s colonial legacy, but also replicate some discourses of the 1950s films. Since the year 2000, instead, the production of Italian documentaries portraying Eritrea and Eritreans has increased remarkably, mostly thanks to private initiatives. Made from the viewpoint of Eritreans, contemporary films undermine the imagination constructed during the 1950s. They offer a counterargument that destabilises the previous enduring colonial visual imaginaries mainly by discussing integration and issues related to second generations and citizenship.