The meadows will return

Evil does not have the last word; good depends only on us...
Ermanno Olmi's last film is like a testament. It is a raw account of the horror of a day like any other on the eastern front of the First World War: Italian soldiers, their torments, their wounded humanity, the cold that penetrates their bones, the deafening noise of bombs, the disturbing presence of death and violence. A film of denunciation and memory, but also of hope. Starting with the title: Torneranno i prati (The Meadows Will Return). Olmi spoke of trenches, battlefields, spaces that would sooner or later come back to life, but he did not stop there.
“The meadows will return!” It would be wonderful to anchor our commitment and our desires in the power of this phrase. Because nothing – least of all evil – is decided once and for all.
Peace will return where man has touched the abyss. It will have the face of a fragile sprout that will never tire of growing, despite everything.
Respect will return where the strongest believe they can lay down the law, humiliating, mocking and doing as they please. It will have the face of men and women who believe in it, who do not stop in the face of arrogance.
Compassion will return where death has become commonplace. It will have the face of those who will bend down to the least among us, not with words, but with concrete actions.
Kindness will return where all that matters is shouting and crushing points of view different from one's own. It will have the face of those who rediscover the weight and meaning of words.
Sharing will return where individualism reigns and only personal interest matters. It will have the face of normal people who no longer want to feel alone, but want to walk side by side with their fellow human beings.
Trust will return where evil has destroyed all plans for the future. It will have the face of a child who will agree to give wings to their dreams, who will break down the logic of “that's just the way it is”.
Humanity will return where the innocent have been trampled on, vilified and violated. It will have the face of those who know how to learn from history and the mistakes of the past, without exploitation or partisan interests.
Life will return where hatred has ruled, where barbarism has replaced all forms of justice. It will have the face of men and women who, with all their effort, will choose forgiveness.
Dialogue will return where prejudice has replaced all reasoning. It will have the face of those who truly want to put themselves in the shoes of others, accepting the challenge of complexity.
Love will return where it has been suffocated, suppressed and destroyed. It will take the form of ordinary people who accept the mystery of every encounter and every good relationship.
Passion for the common good will return where short-sighted calculations have sacrificed everything else. It will take the form of those who are ready to serve, to share their visions and skills in order to build better and more cohesive societies.
Amazement will return where everything is taken for granted and there is no room for wonder. It will have the face of all those who know how to be moved by small things.
Depth will return where people believe they have an answer for everything and everyone. It will have the face of those who know how to accept their own limitations, their own finitude, in order to transfigure reality and experience a fragment of infinity even now.
The meadows will return, there is no doubt about it. But it depends only on us. Let's begin...


Matteo Spicuglia
NP March 2025