All language subtitles for Animals.In.The.Great.War.2015.ITALIAN.1080p.WEBRip.x265-VXT7_English

Film of cultural interest as per Ministry
of Cultural Heritage and Activities,

Directorate General for Cinema.
Funded by support as per law no.28 of 2004

Funded by tax credit as per law no. 244
of December 24, 2007 under text credit law

The snowy peaks
and cliffs of the Eastern Alps.

It's the part of Italian land

where the human footprint
is least visible.

Wilderness still takes center stage.

The remaining woodlands
are organized in protected parks

that offer an ideal habitat

to the copious animal species
that choose to call it home.

These mountains are a natural barrier
to the chilly Northern winds.

They preserve our country's climate.

A hundred years ago, these mountains,
back then heaven on Earth,

were transformed into a living hell.

It's World War I.

The Italian front stretches
for over 600 km.

Four-fifths of the front is in the Alps,
even on peaks above 3,000 m.

Nature's balance and harmony
are irreversibly destroyed.

The ground is shaken by explosions,

invasive excavations,
and polluting chemicals.

The Great War lasted for four years.

Four hellish years, from 1914 to 1918.

The countries involved
left millions of bodies behind.

Italy's count alone
goes up to 650,000 deaths

and 1.5 million injured.

It's the first technological war,
and the last from the 19th century.

Why did this appalling conflict,

whose outcome nobody could foresee,
spark at all?

Each country had their good reasons.

The newborn German nationalism
aimed at expanding its economic outreach.

They strived for African colonies
like those of France and England,

and were building a mighty fleet.

England wasn't too keen
on Germany's expansion plans,

fearing for its sea border,

and was eager to put a halt
to Germany's colonial ambitions.

France wanted revenge
for the defeat of 1870

and to reclaim the territories
ceded to Germany,

especially Alsace, rich in minerals.

For Russia, it was of utter importance
to have a Mediterranean outlet.

And for this reason, they supported
Serbia's nationalist policies.

Italy was torn between picking sides,
between Germany and Austria's side,

or France and England's.

But eventually, lined up
against Austria and Germany

in the hope of reclaiming
the territories of Trieste, and Gorizia,

and those of Trento.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire
felt menaced on all sides,

and had to cope within its boundaries
against freedom and irredentist movements,

which were running rampant
in the various countries of its empire.

They couldn't tolerate
the nationalistic claims of Serbia,

who wanted to create a big Slavic kingdom,

stealing Croatia and Slovenia
from Austria.

The winds of war pushed these countries
to a swift arms race.

Germany was long well-prepared.

And of all the other armies,
it was undoubtedly the most advanced.

During this time, new warfare technologies
made their appearance in history.

Nevertheless,
this remains a traditional conflict.

Among the many strategic tools inherited
by the 19th century,

the use of animals is worth mentioning.

Horses played a major role

and many still admire
the old heroic and rhetoric nostalgia

of majestic cavalry charges.

For a war like this,
which went down in history as a World War,

the contribution of animals was huge.

We're talking about millions
of horses alone.

All countries start raking in horses
from farms and ranches.

The owners are forced
to give up their animals

because of military conscription.

These horses, which were often untamed,
are subjected to a rough training.

They must be ready to face the enemy,

and there's no time
for good manners and kindness.

The best results must be delivered
in a few weeks' time.

But many others cared fastidiously
after their four-legged companion.

Mostly not officers,

but rather soldiers
coming mostly from the countryside

who give the animals back home,
their main work tool,

the old care and attention.

Horses will be used
as transportation

and power train for carts.

They will be trusted companions
in the cavalry regiments.

And they will also be, if necessary, meat
for the starving soldiers in the trenches.

Cavalry is the most obvious symbol
of the ethos of the Great War.

An idea which couldn't keep up
with reality much longer.

Many cavalry regiments are left horseless,
and thus, lose their dynamism.

They're forced to hole up in trenches.

Big cavalry maneuvers are abandoned
in favor of a war utilizing position.

Some horsemen preferred
to give up their horse,

that is, they chose to transform it
into a much more effective weapon.

Airplanes.
Always more and more sophisticated.

This is what horseman
Francesco Baracca did.

He succumbed to the charm of airplanes,
horses of the sky.

His plane becomes the terror
of the Austrian Air Force.

On its airplane's fuselage,
a prancing horse was painted

in honor of his history as a horseman.

He took down 34 enemy aircrafts,
always in chivalrous fashion,

and worrying about his enemies' fate.

"I aim at the plane, not at the man."

Francesco Baracca died at 30…

HERE DIED MAJOR FRANCESCO BARACCA
ACE OF THE ACES - 19TH JUNE 1918

…in the sky over Montello.

He wasn't shot down by an enemy plane,
but by an Austrian sniper.

That prancing horse from the Great War
was then adopted

by an up-and-coming car manufacturer,
Enzo Ferrari.

Baracca's horse never really stopped.

It is known all over the world.

It's the most notorious monument
among those dedicated

to the animals fighting in the Great War.

When in 1914, the Great War breaks out,

all armies were propelled by animals.

HISTORIAN

Over time, the idea of employing dogs
as well caught on.

Dogs were trained in various ways
and times in the fighting countries.

The most prepared
were undoubtedly the Germans,

who had been training dogs
for a long time, especially for policing.

At that time, many handbooks
were published on how to train dogs.

Many of those systems are not totally
unlike to those used today.

And they were pretty tender,
like positive reinforcement.

Dogs are rewarded
when they do what they're tasked.

In Italy as well,
dogs were enlisted in the army.

They underwent a medical inspection.
Owners were invited, so to speak,

to surrender their pets
to the veterinarians of the military,

who visit them
and select the eligible specimens.

They're then assigned to training.

Dogs and men become, thus,
a duo caught between life and death.

Soldiers showing love to their dogs

are a common sight
during the downtimes of warfare.

But they are allowed to do so
with only their animal.

Owning a pet
is a powerful outlet of emotions.

Officers, provided they had a permit,

were allowed to bring their pet
to the front.

Other soldiers as well found a way.

Dogs left behind by their owners fleeing
from the war were often adopted.

There are many images

of groups of soldiers flanked
by literal underdogs.

Our beloved mutts.

Dogs which are not purebred
and that no one would choose

to serve in the army or in transportation.
They're just there for companionship.

They were portrayed
and captured in many pictures,

looking happy near field kitchens
and near their new friends.

Sadly, in the diaries,

soldiers also wrote
how they were forced to abandon them

every time they moved.

Dogs were trained
in huge areas outside cities,

where they're gradually accustomed

to have no fear of gunshots
or loud noises.

Dogs were initially trained to bark
when someone injured was found.

They bark to alert the medical command,

so that they can recover
or treat injured soldiers.

Once the military cap is fetched,
dogs must return to the friendly lines

and reach the trenches,
where they're awaited by their owners.

The affectionate bond between man
and dog is reinforced here too.

During the war, there were thousands
of soldiers saved by these canine heroes

in the ranks of all fighting armies.

ITALIAN RED CROSS

In the pictures of World War I,
you can see famous dogs,

unknown dogs, dogs known
only by their name or their appearance.

Some of them were canine celebrities,
mentioned in their owners' diaries.

One of them was the dog
of Oberleutnant Felix Hecht von Eleda,

who was injured on the Russian front
in 1914. Once healed,

he was sent to the Italian front.

There, he was gifted a German Shepherd.

He christened him Stivo
in honor of a mountain

that was dear to his heart.
Stivo followed him in his everyday life

on this peak at almost 3,000 m
living alongside soldiers in trenches.

He was very often cared after
by the batman of the Oberleutnant.

At first, Stivo was very scared
by gunshots,

so he was the one needing support.

But he soon started
to be the one giving support

to the whole garrison with his presence.
Having a dog around meant

feeling a bit more at home.
It reminded them of their past lives.

"A captain gave me a wonderful German
Shepherd called Stivo, which I'm fond of."

"Early in the morning,
I took the chairlift down with him.

"He was very scared
of his first time traveling in the air.

"Thanks to Stivo,
I don't feel alone anymore.

"He pricks his ears
when he hears grenades.

"He's always eager to carry objects
in his mouth, especially my haversack.

My dog is extremely well-behaved."

Stivo's fate is unknown.
He disappeared with Lieutenant Hecht

in the glaciers of Corno di Cavento
in a very rough fight,

which was won by Italy.

Lieutenant Hecht's remains went missing,
together with his dog.

Dogs were also trusted
with other delicate tasks.

They became draft animals.

Dogs were employed in this way
for the first time

by the Austro-Hungarians.
They even made carts to fit dogs.

They were used to carry ammunition,
weapons, food, water,

and sometimes even the injured.

Transportation on frozen trails
was possible only with sleds.

Big wooden sleds which,
especially around Mount Adamello,

were used by the Italian Army.

Excavations in the ice made
the transportation of supplies possible.

Tunnels are created
for the dog sleds and the men riding them.

Alarm! Alarm!

A hundred years later,

the human-dog relationship
in the Italian Army is still the same.

In the Army Veterinary Center in Grosseto,
dogs are trained to detect mines.

This is just training,
but dogs like these

were deployed in Lebanon and Afghanistan
to demine areas with lots of mines.

Another task of army dogs
is in counter-terrorism ops.

Dog and trainer
become a new six-legged creature.

Only a nod is required
to make the dog spring into action,

which uses its nose
to detect the dangerous perp.

Its task is immobilizing the target

and letting the team storm in safely.

Dogs are trained to not let go
until the trainer gives the order.

The dog's aggressiveness
is contained to the raid only.

These animals are actually
very affectionate with humans.

They share everything
with their companions.

They even sleep in the same tent
as if they were long-time comrades.

These displays of affection
are the same as those found

in the trenches of the Great War.

While in Germany, thousands of dogs
are trained and deployed,

around 50,000,
and 30,000 more in Austria,

Italy deployed less dogs.
Even if we don't have statistics

that are precise enough.

They were mostly employed
for transportation

and not for searching
for injured soldiers.

This is also
due to the kind of battleground

the conflict took place on.

Dogs were mostly employed
in the mountains,

where they're extremely valuable
for rescue after an avalanche.

A deep, intimate relationship.
Twenty-four hours a day.

Dog trainers are also responsible
for very dangerous and specific tasks.

Together with dogs,

the other animal which became
a symbol of World War I is the mule.

Over 500,000 mules were deployed
by Italy during the conflict.

They were crammed into ships and trains,

to be taken to assembly points
at the back of the battlefront.

Mules were trusted

with one of the toughest tasks
of the Great War.

Fighting in the mountains,
on snow and ice.

They carry anything,
but more often than not,

it's single pieces of cannons.
The 105/14 howitzer

was the real protagonist
of skirmishes on the mountains.

Mules were made to carry
all kinds of weights,

from cooking crates
and medical division crates,

to hay and water bins.
They even transported field kitchens.

First-choice mules, the toughest ones,

are trusted with weapons and ammunition,
especially artillery pieces.

The second and third-choice mules,
smaller and weaker,

are usually employed
by the alpine infantry

for the transportation
of tents and supplies.

In a world where life and death
are separated by pure chance,

relationships deepen.

Men and animals depend on each other,

a deep relationship
that must be preserved at all costs.

During the walks that I went on
when I was a child,

in the Rome of the '30s,
I was very often taken to this monument.

It was my favorite destination,
because it was a visual confirmation

of the stories told by my father,
who had fought in World War I

in the Alpine Artillery.

He used to have a donkey,
which carried a cannon.

This donkey was,
in his and my memories,

the protagonist of those years of warfare.
He didn't tell me about the deaths,

massacres, and terror.

He used to tell me
about the deep friendship

and the big help that his donkey
was to him

and many others in the same group

of soldiers deployed in the mountains.
He also told me

about the calmness that the donkey
used to transmit to alpine soldiers

during the retreat of Caporetto.
These donkeys and mules

were devoted to their owner and companion
in the storm of the war.

To me, this is a wonderful memory depicted
by this monument.

It makes me think both of my father
and his stories.

It also gives me a better picture

of a lesser-known side
to those frightening years of war.

This calm, placid, strong animal
was deeply loved

by the soldier that fought with it.

I got sad when I thought
about my father's mule.

I got sad when I heard
that there were fewer and fewer.

That is,
until the announcement

that alpine troops were to get rid
of these trustworthy animals.

There was a wonderful moment
when former soldiers,

knowing that these animals were destined

for a slaughterhouse or to be sold
to who knows who or where,

they joined forces to buy

the old, remaining mules
that fought in the war alongside them.

Mules also doubled up
as safe guides for the alpine soldiers.

A master who knows his way
around the mountains.

It's not a coincidence that those tracks
are still called mule tracks today.

It's heavy! Drop it.

They are brothers in arms,
valuable and indispensable allies.

They brought back the comrades
who had fallen in the conflict.

They brought warmth during stormy nights.

They were useful even after dying,

as their bodies were used
to feed the starving soldiers.

It was a long time
before mechanical transportation

succeeded in replacing them.

Technological advancements
revolutionized fighting techniques.

Machine guns, tanks, and aerial bombing
were all innovations adopted by armies

during the fourth year of the conflict.
Radio and telephone were still a novelty,

revolutionizing the communication
between trenches and command centers.

Radio was used to guide gunfire
towards the enemy

in the blurriest seconds of battling.

But communications
are also easy to intercept.

To prevent this, an ancient means
of communication is employed.

In 1914, all armies of the major powers
owned divisions of homing pigeons.

They are trusted with messages like these,

nowadays preserved
as valuable testimonies.

ORIGINAL MESSAGES
FROM THE ITALO-AUSTRIAN WAR

They are trained by specialized personnel.

No one can outmatch a pigeon
when it comes to the speed

and distance covered
in a short span of time.

Pigeons get attached to their birdhouse.

When travelling back home,
it's unlikely that they'll lose their way.

But if they do, they don't stop flying.

They just fly in big circles
until they find their way back.

A strong network of advanced birdhouses

provides a valuable means
of communication to the Italian Army

between troops on the front lines
and command centers.

Mobile birdhouses
could carry up to 100 pigeons,

while trailed birdhouses
could carry up to 120.

Once written, the message is inserted
in a cylindrical leather pouch.

The cylinder
is then tied to the bird's leg.

Training was fast,

and consisted of making
the pigeon fly increasing distances,

starting with two kilometers,
reaching up to ten times as far.

Experiments were done using pigeons
to take pictures from the sky…

but it didn't work out.

Homing pigeons took the risk
of being shot down or captured

by those who wanted
to steal their messages.

In the Great War,

birds and dogs also served as alarms
against a specific chemical enemy.

Their sensory system
is much sharper than the humans'

in detecting a silent but lethal weapon.

Gas.

It was an English invention which was
deployed by the French for the first time.

Gasses were used mercilessly
by Germany and Austria.

They can paralyze, suffocate, and burn,

and very few defenses
were actually effective.

At the beginning of the war,

armies relied on winds
to spread the lethal gas.

Pretty soon, cannon bullets
and hand grenades were used

to target the effect
of gas more effectively.

In order to protect men and animals alike,
the fighting armies invented

various types of gas masks.

Many varieties are made
with the illusion

of being able to counteract its effects.

Alarm! Alarm!

Dogs, horses, and mules
mutated into bizarre beings.

Their eyes weren't really affected,

and only their respiratory tract
needed protection.

After the animals give their alarm,

there's only a few moments' time
to put on a mask,

which is still not very effective.

On July 6th, 1917,

Germans use mustard gas
for the first time,

an aggressive chemical too strong
for gas masks.

It can easily penetrate
leather and cloth garments

to inflict painful burns.

Pietro Storari is a soldier
in the 121st Infantry Regiment.

"Most of the bodies had a greenish hue"

"because of the mighty gas
which took us by surprise.

"Those who were left unconscious,
among them a Major,

were brutally massacred with iron clubs.

"It took two days for military trucks

"to transport the bodies
to the nearest cemetery.

Attacks went on both sides,
but with no advancements at all."

It is estimated that
2,000 Italian soldiers died on that day,

and another 1,000 died
in the following days,

or were left disabled.

Gas played a key role
on October 24th, 1917 too,

when the Austro-German offensive
on the Italian front kicked off.

In Plezzo, today belonging to Slovenia,

Italians soldiers barricaded in trenches
had no idea what was going to happen.

At dawn, bombardments start.

More than 2,000 bombs
with phosgene were dropped.

It's the start of the defeat of Caporetto,
a village near Plezzo.

Francesco Isola belonged to
the 155th Infantry Brigade Alessandria

stationed in Plezzo.

"The air was unbreathable."

"It was impregnated with gas
and the sulfuric smoke of explosions.

"A hand grenade with poison gas
made us readily put up the mask.

"I was barely outside the shelter,
when in the blink of an eye,

"I saw before me
the figures of enemy soldiers,

"who surrounded me
with bayonets aimed at my chest.

"And thus, after becoming prisoner of war,

"everything I had done
and sacrificed up until then,

vanished in a second,
for a coincidence which wasn't my fault."

The generals in command
were the ones to blame,

especially Marshal Cadorna,
who, in spite of the copious warnings,

couldn't anticipate
the enemy's next moves.

A deep breach is opened
in the Italian lines.

Soldiers flee and civilians follow suit.

After a few days,
there are 250,000 prisoners,

400,000 displaced civilians,
and 40,000 deaths.

Around the bodies, life thrives.

Rats are the most widespread animals
on battlegrounds.

Rats live alongside humans,
or rather, they live on them.

They feed on the blood and meat
of the millions of dead.

They're the true enemy of all armies
and there's no way to defeat them.

Rats of all sizes,

from small mice able to sneak
in every nook and cranny,

to huge rats ruling over dead and alive.

This is the description
of Luigi Gasperotto,

volunteering officer in the Karst region.

"Big rats with unending tails
were running on benches,"

"stepping on people's faces
to lick their lips.

"The only way to coexist with them,

was wrapping up in blankets
and let them do their thing."

Dogs make their comeback,
especially small-sized ones,

but with no relevant training
and often thought of as useless.

And yet, they gave a valuable contribution
to soldiers in the trenches.

These small dogs
were the perfect hunters for rodents.

Rats become preys to be showcased
with morbid satisfaction.

The retreat in Caporetto stops
on the shores of the River Piave.

This is the scene
of the first Italian attempt

of stopping the advance
of the Austrian and German armies.

An uncertain attempt.
The higher ranks of the Italian Army

had expected to retreat
behind the River Mincio, near Mantua.

Austria had occupied
a big portion of Italian territory,

but, contrary to the expectations,
they didn't continue their advance.

They stop at the River Piave,
starting another war of position.

Trenches are again center stage.

The horror comes back
in those deep furrows.

Beyond the trenches, in no man's land,
decomposing bodies are piled up.

Not being able to wash for weeks,

the unsanitary conditions
in the trenches

facilitate the proliferation of parasites.

Foot soldiers prefer sleeping
under the cold rain

to keep fleas and lice at bay.

Parasites crawl under the bandages
on the calves,

and provoke sores and inflammation.

Fleas are the most detested
and feared animal.

This calamity is often mentioned
in the letters sent from the trenches.

"I examined the white tie
and I immediately spotted a flea."

"There's no hope."

"Before going to bed, for those who get
to do that, there will be thousands."

Resting and disinfestation stations
are of little use

for the divisions coming from the front.

The only effective solution
is boiling the uniforms.

On opposite banks of the River Piave,

Austrians and Italians alike,
start boiling big pots of water.

Armies channel their hostility
towards a common enemy.

Maybe the most fearsome of the Great War.

Boiling water imposed
rough justice on the fleas,

but it takes a few hours in the trenches

for the fleas' assault
to relentlessly recover.

On the front line,
the other big nuisance is starvation.

Getting food to the front line
is not an easy task,

despite the war kickstarting the biggest
mass-catering effort in history.

Every day, millions of men
and animals have to be fed.

For many soldiers coming
from humble rural areas,

the dietary change is dramatic.

With the higher protein intake,
they put on weight.

This especially happened
behind the front line,

because food was scarce.
There wasn't even enough drinkable water.

To facilitate supplies,
slaughterhouses are set up near the front.

Poultry, pigs, cattle, and horses,

are brought alive to the slaughterhouses.
Some animals, like oxen and horses,

are used to transport other animals
and are nicknamed "standing meat".

These obedient animals
were orderly slaughtered one by one.

It was easy for those there
to make a comparison

between the animals'
and the soldiers' fate.

The human slaughterhouse run
by the generals

seemed to be following
a mathematical rule,

as if victory were determined
by the number of fatalities.

The Americans helped massively
with the food supply.

In the USA, the food preservation industry
is cutting edge.

Rivers of canned meat
flood the European fronts.

Food was pivotal for the war's outcome,

and was the death
of Austria and Germany.

German strategists are caught
between the use of animals for fighting

and food needs.

The 22,000 workhorses
of the Austro-Hungarian Army

are down to less than 2,000 units
in March 1918.

The number
of donkeys and mules was halved.

Basically, all cattle were confiscated
and used for food.

These are the words found
in the diary of a Hungarian soldier

belonging to the 14th Division posted
on the River Piave.

"At 12:45 p.m.
the news came that the 57th Regiment,"

"after numerous deaths
and the complete scarcity of food,

isn't fit for fighting."

IN THE NAME OF GOD AND THE PEOPLE
WE ARE ONE

The food crisis
and the overall exhaustion of the German

and Austrian armies
trigger an unexpected failure.

From the River Piave,
Austrians start a catastrophic retreat.

Italian troops follow in pursuit.

Back in 1918,
when the Armistice was signed,

the Austro-Hungarians
quickly abandoned their positions.

Italians were ordered to pursue them
and take as many prisoners as possible,

at the same time as
occupying all the territory they can.

At that time, in the Adamello area,

in the village of Temù,
a chase was started by a group of soldiers

that looked after dogs,

abandoned the same dogs they used
for transportation

by chaining them inside of a shack.

Many of these dogs died there,
but many of the strongest

managed to break free
and formed packs of stray dogs.

Dogs from the Adamello area
were all Maremmano-Abruzzese sheepdogs.

Their candid fur,
their strength and stamina,

their determined nature,
and their generosity,

make them the ideal dogs
to deploy on the mountain fronts.

But in the inebriation of victory
while chasing after the enemy,

they were abandoned to their fate.

After the victory,
soldiers just want to go back home.

These dogs didn't have this chance,

and will forever sleep
in the ice of Mount Adamello.

War is coming to an end,
when a new creature

sneaks into the ranks
of the fighting armies.

It's invisible,

but it's the most dangerous
and deadliest enemy

for soldiers and civilians alike.

MEN MOWED DOWN LIKE GRASS

It's a microscopic virus known
as the Spanish Influenza.

It's one of nature's weapons,
that claimed more victims

than all the gas and the bombs
of the whole conflict.

Over a billion people were infected.

Twenty-two million people died.

The epidemic had origins in China,
and was soon to spread to America…

SPAIN - FRANCE - GERMANY
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY - RUSSIA - TURKEY

…before coming to Europe
through the Spanish coasts,

travelling with the troops sent
by the U.S.

The war fought by men

was joined by a bioweapon
which couldn't be fought,

and over which no one could prevail.

It was thanks to the economic strength
of the United States though,

that the final victory was reached,
putting an end to the war.

For the Americans,
it puts an end to isolation.

For Europe, it's the end of an era
where it was the center of the world.

When the USA entered the conflict,

they were deeply indebted
with European banks.

At the end of the war,
the debit became a credit

of several billions at the time.

Thanks to the Americans,

some animals made history
as superstars and heroes.

Cher Ami was a female homing pigeon

which was intercepted by German snipers
while carrying an important message.

It was shot,
but in spite of a bloody foot wound,

it kept on flying.

The message it was carrying
saved many lives.

Cher Ami was treated
as a national heroine.

PDSA FOR GALLANTRY
WE ALSO SERVE

It is embalmed in the National Museum
of American History.

Stubby, a stray pit bull terrier,
saved many lives.

He was able to smell gas…

and recognize the high-pitched note
of grenades,

just in time to avoid them.

He's the hero of the Marne,

and once the war was over,
he became a star.

There was another dog with a lucky fate.
A wolf dog found by an American soldier

in a kennel in Lorraine.
Its name was Rin-Tin-Tin.

Once he arrived in the USA,
Rin-Tin-Tin found,

thanks to his special skill,

a job in the film industry,
becoming a world star.

A privileged survivor,

a living testament to the self-sacrifice
of dogs during the Great War.

For Italy, the war ends
with the last foolish cavalry charge

wanted by the heroic fanatism
of the general in command.

This is how the event was described
by the writer Luigi Gasparotto.

"Horses died under machine gun fire…

dragging the last Italians to the enemy
at the final hour of the war."

Now the trumpets can be blown.
The enemy retreats, waving the white flag.

It's the Armistice.

Almost 11 million horses, mules,
and donkeys, 200,000 pigeons,

and 100,000 dogs were enlisted

by the Allied armies
and the Central Powers.

How many of them fell with their soldiers?

No one can know,

but it was estimated
that over 50% fell in combat.

What is left of those animals,
innocent by definition,

that took part in the massacre
at the beginning of the century?

Many bodies were abandoned,
left to rot on the battleground.

It's on those battlefields,
sometime after the war,

that an English company,
which still exists today, flourishes.

It produces fertilizer.

The industry collects animal carcasses

and probably some of
the soldiers buried in the ground too.

It reduces those bones to dust
and transforms them into manure.

From the River Marne to the Piave,
the harvest is bountiful.

That fertilizer is then applied
to fields around Europe,

scattering the ashes of humans
and animals alike on the dark ground.

Flowers bloom on those same fields,
unaware of what fed them.

Maybe awareness is best left to poets.

OF THE MANY WHO WERE SO CLOSE TO ME
NOTHING REMAINS, NOT EVEN THAT

THIS RAVAGED VILLAGE IS MY HEART

Sottotitoli: Nicolas Gasco