Et in terra Pacis

Italy | 2018 | 26’ | Short film

From 1998 to 2006, Regina Pacis was the largest CPT (Temporary Detention Center) in Italy. Over 65,000 migrants passed through its gates. After its closure, the structure remained deserted for years — suspended between memory and erasure — until it was purchased to be transformed into a luxury resort. During the renovation works, however, the building begins to reveal the indelible traces of a past marked by violence, humiliation, and systemic abuse.

Walls stripped of plaster uncover inscriptions, hidden messages, and scars etched into the architecture itself. Through the encounter between former detainees, local witnesses, and the physical space, the film becomes an excavation of collective memory. What resurfaces is not only the testimony of victims, but also the responsibility of a country that chose to forget.

Directed by  Mattia Epifani

Written by Mattia Epifani, Francesco Lefons

Director of Photography Giorgio Giannoccaro

Editing Mattia Soranzo

Production Design Luigi Conte

Sound Gianlugi Gallo

Music Redi Hasa
General Manager Davide Barletti
Line Producer Michele Innocente
Assistant Director Corrado Punzi
Second Assistant Director Paola Leone

Featuring Alessandra Viva, Joshua Eji, Collins Chuwuana, Michele Tarantino, Issofou Fofana, Keba Seck, Issofa Kpoumie Nyamsi, Kamrul Mia, Roberto Vincenti

Produced by Mattia Epifani

A production by Muud Film

Supported by Apulia Film Commission,  Dipartimento della Gioventù e del Servizio Civile Nazionale, ARCI Lecce

Festivals & awards

Torino Film Festival (2018)

Competition Italiana.corti

Festival del Cinema Europeo di Lecce (2019)
Special Mention “Puglia Show”

Rai Cinema Channel Award

LiberAzioni Festival (2019)
Best Film Award

Festival di Cinema Africano d'Asia e d'America Latina - FESCAAAL (2019)

Concorso Extr’A