Rose Island (film)

Giorgio Rosa approaches the Council of Europe with a petition to protect and recognize his Island, which he later elaborates was built by him and his friend Maurizio Orlandini. The film flashes back a year to show how that after passing the state engineering exam, he met with his ex-girlfriend, Gabriella, in Bologna. He offers to drive her home and they are stopped by the police in his self made car, which has no licence plate and hasn't been registered. He is jailed for the night and bailed out by his father.

Three months later, he is working for motorbike racer Bruno Spaggiari as an engineer when he sees a billboard showing an oil platform. Inspired, he convinces Maurizio who is tired of working in his father's company, to help him build an island just outside the territorial waters and legal jurisdiction of Italy, where everyone is free to do as they want. With money that Maurizio has stolen from his father and innovative solutions to reduce the cost of the materials, they are successful in building an island of their a supply of fresh water. A cast-away welder with his boat asks for shelter during a storm and becomes the first resident.

Club promoter Wolfgang Rudy Neumann, a stateless past-German who is a PR manager for a beach club, visits the island. He starts to promote the island as a tourist destination and more people begin to visit, attracted by the freedom it represents from the established states. Franca, a 19 year old pregnant girl offers to become the barmaid of the 400 square metre island's sole bar. Gabriella, who had come to the island to tell Giorgio of her pending marriage, claims that it's not a nation, and is nothing more than a disco. Giorgio argues that the island, now named Rose Island, has its own language, currency, postal system and other amenities including a citizenship process that is soon to be started. Gabriella points out that there is no official recognition of it.

A letter is then written to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, who contact the Italian government. Giorgio, who has been named the island's president, is pressured by the government to relinquish control. He refuses, and in retaliation the authorities arrange for his father to be fired from his job. Other members of the island are also made offers to leave, which they accept. Gabriella advises Giorgio to approach the Council of Europe to help him, and they accept his case for further investigation. The Italian government threatens to destroy the island. When Giorgio refuses to back down, the other residents return and stand along with him on the island against the Italian navy. They are detained and the island is blown up. The film ends showing Gabriella and Giorgio getting back together. History notes that Rose Island was, despite its short life, a landmark event of being the only nation to be directly attacked by the Italian Republic. To prevent similar accidents to happen in the future, however, the UN extends the international waters territory from 6 to 12 nautical miles.

Rose Island received generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 78%, based on 9 reviews[4]

Linda Marric of NME wrote: "Sibilia and co-writer Francesca Manieri successfully mix whimsy and pathos to give us something truly inspiring."[5]

• Republic of Rose Island

• Rose Island at IMDb 
• Rose Island at Rotten Tomatoes
• Groenlandia
• Netflix