CORTINA VERDE – GREEN CURTAIN: Shots, voices and faces from Italy’s eastern border along the European Green Belt.

A short documentary tells the stories of young volunteers from one BESTbelt project who explored the hidden bunkers of the Karst along the European Green Belt, where nature reclaims history and bats find peaceful refuge. The film features shots, voices and faces from Italy’s eastern border.

 

Along Italy’s eastern border, where history once divided Europe, the landscape now tells a new story. This stretch of the European Green Belt connects the Alpine region with the Karst Plateau: a distinctive limestone landscape rich in caves, forests, and wildlife. Here, traces of past conflicts coexist with thriving biodiversity, as nature reclaims bunkers and trenches once built for war. These underground shelters have become vital habitats for bats, symbolizing resilience and the power of regeneration.

A short documentary presents the visible impact on the ground: abandoned military structures are now monitored and preserved as bat roosts, local communities are rediscovering forgotten landscapes, and a new generation of Europeans is engaging with the ideals of peace and sustainability that the European Green Belt represents, a living symbol of unity across former divides. In the pre-Alpine area, these efforts have been strengthened through the BESTbelt project “Restoring biodiversity along the Italian Green Belt: forgotten bunkers, abandoned meadows and disappearing ponds“, which promotes cooperation and conservation along the European Green Belt.

The video also presents the international youth camp, where young volunteers from across Europe come together to explore, document, and protect this remarkable region. Their voices, images, and experiences capture the connection between people and nature, showing how the scars of history can transform into corridors of life, learning, and collaboration.

 

The short documentary "CORTINA VERDE – GREEN CURTAIN was produced by RAI FVG – Italian Programs, and directed by Ivo Pecile and Marco Virgilio.

You can watch it here.

*Note: the video is only available in Italian. 

 

For more information, please contact Francesca Visintin (Rete Italiana European Green Belt APS), rete.italiana.egb@gmail.com