Narrating THE PLACE ISCHIA means starting from the understanding that its territory is a unitary organism, a 'Topos' - considering the                          island's nature as an integral part of the built environment for its human dimension.

Reconnecting places with their memory.
Protecting the territory by paying new attention to the landscape.
Without Memory, there is no Future.

                                                                                 PROJECT CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

The representation of "The Place of Ischia" means considering it one of the determining factors in various social sectors. Past and present, the particular and the general, politics and aesthetics, sentiment and reason converge upon it.

For us, narrating "The Place of Ischia" means, given this complexity, paying particular attention to the landscape, given the ever-increasing attention paid to the coast for many decades, with its unique resources for efficient tourism. This is why the aspect that its human-scale landscape—which seems forgotten—is unique is particularly relevant to us.

And if we want to understand this uniqueness beyond its morphological level, it helps us to reflect on the fact that in the past, writers and artists felt this great attraction and found in Ischia a place where desire finds fulfilment. For us, this also equates to a journey into the memory of its historical events.

But not only writers and artists, but also historians, geologists, archaeologists, naturalists, topographers, and photographers have described a landscape rich in character. And it is precisely the signs the landscape offers us that reveal its morphological specificities and its tormented history of continuous eruptions and magma outflows.

Rims, craters, lava ridges, flatlands, terraces, cliffs, sandy inlets, active fumaroles, and thermal waters are the tangible evidence of an orographic reality originating from volcanic genesis. In ancient times, this reality was explained by the mythological image of Typhoeus, who, punished by Jupiter, imprisoned his immense strength beneath the island of Ischia.

And finally, as the learned experts testify: Hills, valleys, promontories, heights, and coasts have formed a system of physical features through which the island's territory has always appeared as a unitary organism, a ‘Topos’. This peculiarity has made the Ischian territory a landscape, a sign of sensitive beauty and a place closely linked to the four elements: good air, abundant earth, water and fire.

                                                                                         PROJECT THEMES

The project's objective is to begin with the recognition that the island's territory is a unitary organism, a topos. This means that we will begin with this fascinating unity, then move from the general to the particular, drawing an exemplary map of places of "natural truth" and "urban truth"—considering the island's nature as an integral part of the built environment, reflecting its human dimension—and seeking to connect the places with the dimension of their memory.
The journey into the particular begins at Epomeo, the morphological authority—then following a path that leads us into a nature that has always been shaped by man, with a rich alternation of terraced landscapes—once intensively cultivated, with a Renaissance vision—and wild rock formations of singular volcanic origin. Our journey will unfold from the top down to the coast—that is, in the opposite direction from this famous tourist destination—focusing on places that lend themselves to being connected to their memory and that continue to emanate their magic.

                                                                                             MEMORY – PLACE

"No nostalgia for the past, but rather the indication of a commitment to the present, aimed at rediscovering, or rather, inventing, a place removed from the homogenization and equalization of all the places on earth to which we have been subjected by the glories of today's mass society." Filiberto Menna

                                                                                      RELEVANCE OF THE PROJECT

However, it is not an aesthetic project as an end in itself, but rather one aimed at creating, through authentic narratives, the awareness that this treasure—written so deeply in our memory—must be taken to heart and ultimately protected. Experts emphasize this even more forcefully, emphasizing the urgency and necessity of protecting the Ischia area to stem the ongoing uprooting.

       THE DIMENSION OF MEMORY

C A S T

LA VOCE DELLA MEMORIA – Alla Ricerca dell’Identità

THE VOICE OF MEMORY  -  In Search of Identity

Da un’idea di Carla Zickfeld & Stefan Kaarkow

Un film di Carla Zickfeld

Regia                                                                                                                                                                                                            

CARLA ZICKFELD

Soggetto                                                                                                                                                                                                      

CARLA ZICKFELD

Direzione della Fotografia                                                                                                                                                                                                   

STEFAN KARKOW

Montaggio                                                                                                                                                                                                 

STEFAN KARKOW

“Ischia” – Autice testi e Voce narrante                                                                                                                                             

 MILENA CASSANO

“Menestrello” – Interprete di canti e poesie ischitane e di propria composizione                                                                                     

 DENIS TRANI

Musica dei “Tyrrenika”                                                                                                                                                                                 

 PAOLO PAPINI – Flauti e Cornamuse                                                                                                                                               

 ALBERTO CAVASRACCI STRASCIA – Bouzouki                                                                                                                                           

TOMMASO CUPELLO – Ghironda                                                                                                                                                                 

 GUGLIELMO PAPINI – Percussioni

Operatore Drone e 2° Camera                                                                                                                                                                      

GIUSEPPE MATTERA

Expert opinions after a private viewing

"The island is still far away, almost a mirage. The camera slowly approaches, skimming the water. In the background, we hear the lyrical composition that the German poet Peter Huchel dedicated to Ischia in 1963. "The Voice of Memory" by Carla Zickfeld (director and story) and Stefan Karkow (cinematographer and editor) is not a film, not a documentary, nor more simply a visual declaration of love to a Mediterranean island. It is something more. It is a choral, sensitive, intense, and poetic work of art that owes its strength to an expressive value we had almost forgotten. Slowness, the ability to observe and listen, even when sounds may at first appear to us as simple silence. But it is not silence. It is the voice of the sea, the wind, the earth, and the generations of men and women who have labored to cultivate and respect it in a relationship of mutual dependence. The film captivated me from the first sequences and has remained with me. It remains etched in our memory even long after we first saw it. It shows us a completely new island of Ischia, rich in history, nature, music, and professions that for centuries have eroded its identity. An identity that today seems more a product of memory than of the present. The great merit of this film is that it does not give in to feelings, sometimes nostalgic, sometimes resigned, of the "good old days." It is a film that delves deeply and leaves the viewer free to discover the island from their own perspective. A film that leaves room for the images, the sounds, the protagonists, the sound of the wind, and the many mysteries of the springs, the volcanic rocks, the vines, and the cisterns. In other words: it is a precious film. Walter Rauhe Journalist and documentary filmmaker Berlin correspondent for Radio and Television of Italian Switzerland

"What beautiful and fitting words!! I absolutely agree with everything and couldn't have said it better! -

Last night, R. and I watched the film and we loved it!!

We particularly liked the calm and profound approach you gave, both in terms of the shots and the content. We really liked the opening shot of the island and the general view of the rocks, the nature, the vineyards, the manual and agricultural labor. The interviews are also interesting and absolutely perfect, as is the choice of lyrics and music. ...

In any case, we really enjoyed it. It's rigorous, and the message comes across so clearly and poetically that our daughter (who watched with us) said she barely recognized Ischia and thought it was another island, and I think that was precisely your intention!!"

C.M., Ischia

"Good morning and happy Sunday! Thank you for the beautiful trailer. I'd like to propose a screening of the film in Ischia for young people and for the APCI (Ischia Cultural Park) association, of which I am vice-president. ... Perfect, I look forward to sharing it! Congratulations! A truly beautiful and necessary film that questions us about the future of our island."

G.d.P., Ischia

"Good morning, Carla and Stefan. Thank you for the invitation to attend yesterday's screening of the documentary in Forio. It was interesting and wonderful to revisit and reflect on the past of some of the island of Ischia. My wife, who is very curious, would love to see it. How would that be possible? I would also suggest sending it to schools, which often address issues related to their own territories and origins. This would encourage reflection and raise awareness of the island's immense richness, and could lead to plans for the use and implementation of both commercial and non-commercial, sustainable, and other activities. Last but not least, schools undertaking European Erasmus projects

could implement international projects (Comenius, ERASMUS Plus, etc.) and thus disseminate the significant characteristics and identity of our island throughout Europe. Thanks again and best regards.

G.I., Sant'Angelo