20/01/2016 - The Italian-Belgian co-production offers a new take on the mystery of the plane crash of June 1980 in which 81 people lost their lives

Following his films on the ‘Moro case’ and the Vajont Dam tragedy, Renzo Martinelli gives his version of the truth behind the Ustica Massacre, the plane crash of 27 June 1980 in which all 81 passengers of the DC-9 Itavia lost their lives. 

The film, which is simply entitled Ustica [+see also:
trailer
film profile], is due to be released in Italian cinemas at the end of March, under the distribution of Indipendent Movies and Zenit Distribution. Written by Martinelli himself, the film stars Marco Leonardi, Caterina Murino, Lubna Azabal, Tomas Arana and Federica Martinelli with Paco Reconti, Yassine Fadel, Joe Capalbo, Jonis Bascir, Shelag Gallivan and the participation of Enrico Lo Verso.

Ustica is the fruit of three years’ work spent in close collaboration with two aeronautic engineers on the huge mass of reports and testimonies to have been produced over the thirty plus years that have passed since that tragic night, and presents a new theory, supported by documented material. 

Great attention has been paid to the flying scenes, with shots of 3D fighter jets and shots from the cockpit of actual fighter jets put together using chroma key technology in a film studio in Terni. 

The film, an Italian-Belgian co-production, is being produced by Martinelli Film Company International and WFE in cooperation with Umberto Buttafava, Polar Star Pharma and Seagull with the support and participation in terms of tax credits of Dorotea and La Ferla Pietro and the contribution of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activites and Tourism and the regions of Tuscany, Basilicata and Sicily. The director of photography is Blasco Giurato, costumes are by Massimo Cantini Parrini, the set design is by Paolo Innocenzi and the music is by Pivio and Aldo de Scalzi.

(Translated from Italian)