Fiume o morte! () is a 2025 comedy docudrama film written and directed by . It features reenactments and reconstructions of Gabriele D'Annunzio's occupation of Rijeka. It premiered at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it won the Tiger Award.
Premise.
Residents of present-day Rijeka reenact images of Gabriele D'Annunzio's 1919–1920 occupation of the city.
Production.
Director grew up in Rijeka. Regarding his approach for the film, he stated, "It's like a history lesson but retold in a fun way. In high school, I didn't like history that much because I didn't have a good storyteller, and history is basically about the art of telling a story. You can combine storytelling with facts, and it doesn't have to be terribly boring. It can be fun." Principal photography was completed by July 2022.
Release.
The film premiered at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam on 2 February 2025. It won both the Tiger Award and FIPRESCI Award.
Reception.
Wendy Ide of "Screen Daily" called the film "forthright, unflinching and very funny" and "a gloriously punk spin on the historical documentary genre". Guy Lodge of "Variety" called the film "both compelling and very amusing".