We were born and raised in a magical land, Sardinia, and it is about Sardinia that we want to talk to you through our work. Ours is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the twenty regions of the Italian nation. Italy is only the latest of the political changes that Sardinia has been through in its millennial history. As we like to say: "We were always invaded but never conquered." Our history begins over 5000 years ago, with the pre-Nuragic civilization. On the left of this paragraph, you have a representation of the nuraghe, a typical Sardinian architectural structure of that time (illustration by Lorenzo Livrieri).
You can find helpful links throughout this page's texts. Sardinia was invaded in time by Arabs, North-African, Spanish, French, and Austrians, but never lost its central identity.
The presence of many different influences on our territory is evident through our traditions and customs, which reflect these characteristics. For example, Carnival is one of the most heartfelt celebrations on the island. Among the best known masks are that of Su Componidori de Sa Sartiglia from Oristano, Mamuthones and Issohadores from Mamoiada, and Sos Boes and Sos Merdules from Ottana (read more). Specifically, Sartiglia is the Carnival of the city of Oristano, where our studio originates (read more).
Sardinian Myths
Our land is pounding with myths and legends. Among these, the character we have focused on most from the beginning is the sleep demon, also called s'ammutadori, who is also the protagonist of our first short film.
Other known figures are that of accabadora, who euthanized people at the end of their lives in ancient times. She was a woman dressed in black, invested with special powers, which one can only pass on from generation to generation.
The same mystery happens with the ritual for curing the evil eye, which is a condition in which people suffer from constant misfortune. The rules are known only by those who own the formula and change in every village within the island. Those who possess these skills and knowledge pass them on to a person of their choice. If this person accepts the assignment, the secret to curing the evil eye will be theirs, and they will also be responsible for healing people.
Sardinian Thinkers
Sardinia has among its children some of the most enlightened minds of the modern era.
Grazia Deledda (1871-1936, pictured in this illustration made for our blog by Isabella Ceravolo), the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature, talked about the island through her stories. One of her most famous novels is Reeds in the wind. Grazia Deledda was born in Nuoro, one of the Sardinian regional capitals, still today a center of solid representation of our artistic, folkloric and culinary culture.
Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937), politician, philosopher and writer. Politically active in the Communist Party during the Fascist period, he had been jailed and silenced. The letters written from prison are famous, where Gramsci had continued to study and transmit his ideas and his philosophy, still studied today and of great influence in the evolution of contemporary politics.
Enrico Berlinguer (1922-1984), considered the most popular representative of the Communist Party in Italy ever. Active during the so-called years of lead, in an extremely delicate period for the country, where guerrillas and terrorism were on the agenda. Berliguer was the founder of Eurocommunism, a trend among European Communist parties whereby they broke away from the Soviet Union.
If you want some interesting and also funny insights on our people, we suggest you check out this article. To know more about notable people from our island, we suggest you have a look at this interesting collection of bios and anecdotes.
Our Beautiful Land
The beauty of Sardinia is as much on the inside as it is on the outside. Sardinian landscapes are among the most varied, and exploring the island can take you from the top of the mountains to some of the most beautiful beaches that you will ever be lucky enough to see in your life. These things inspire a love for our land, towards its timeless charm, towards its different colors.
Some lesser-known places on the island are, for example, the dunes of Piscinas (the illustration, by Lorenzo Livrieri, is from a concept of our feature film The World of Las, and it is inspired exactly by this location) in the municipality of Arbus in southern Sardinia. A natural desert of golden sand that slides into the open sea of the west coast, overlooking Spain from afar. Speaking of Spain, north of our island, in Alghero, you can see the strong influence of the Spanish colonization. In studying the Alghero dialect, understand how it resembles Catalan.
Another important aspect of our territory is precisely the language: Sardinian. Sardinian is a Romance language, used since the days of the Judicates, and still spoken on the island, with different declinations and dialects depending on the area.
