An extreme weather event struck northeastern Italy in October 2018. The sirocco blew at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour in the Dolomite valleys, toppling around 14 million trees. The incessant rain caused streams to overflow, dragging logs and debris downstream.
In the course of a night, the residents of several mountain communities in Trentino, Veneto, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia found their cellars flooded and their houses stripped of roofs by the wind.
Six years later, the consequences of the Vaia storm are still visible and tangible. Many trees remain on the ground, as collecting them is a complex operation that requires experience and resources. Their wood feeds the bark beetle, a parasitic insect that moves from dead plants to those still standing, causing damage six times greater than that of the storm.
Furthermore, the fallen trees no longer serve their protective function against landslides and avalanches, and the damaged beds of the streams are no longer able to channel and contain the water. As experts and locals roll up their sleeves to restore normalcy, the overall economic damage has been estimated at over three billion euros. Storms have always been part of the history of the forests, but global warming is amplifying their scale and frequency.
With a documentary approach and in dialogue with elements of scientific research and archives, There’s No Calm After the Storm investigates the long-term consequences of the Vaia storm. The project aims to analyze what happened with the time necessary to reflect on causes, consequences, and future perspectives, raising public awareness about the issue of climate emergency and the fragile balance between human action and the integrity of ecosystems.
