The Siege of Paradise - Expat Cinema RotterdamThe Siege of Paradise - Expat Cinema Rotterdam

A season in Italy's Cinque Terre follows residents and an American influencer as mass tourism strains the five villages.

The Siege of Paradise is set in Italy's Cinque Terre, where a turquoise sea, pastel houses on steep cliffs and plates of pasta with fresh pesto draw 3.5 million tourists a year. The five villages on the Ligurian coast have around 4,000 residents, and every summer they are swamped by visitors. An Irish film crew stayed for a season to observe what mass tourism does to the place. The film follows a troubled restaurant owner, a winegrower, a philosophical fisherman, a frustrated mayor and an American influencer, among others. It looks at the strain on infrastructure, overflowing waste bins and young people unable to afford a home in their own village, while residents seek a balance between economic interests and livability.

Story written by Evenitto from the film catalogue