‘Mediterraneo’ film set sparked Greece-Turkey tension – Italy – ANSAMed

GENOA – A Greek naval vessel converted into an Italian military one to shoot the first scene of the 1992 Oscar award-winning film ‘Mediterraneo’ sparked intervention from Turkish military aircraft off the island of Kastellorizo, less than 3 kilometers from the Turkish coast.

Explanations ended up preventing a diplomatic incident between Greece and Turkey.

This story was told by the director of photography of the film, Italo Petriccione, in a video connection with Genoa’s Cineclub Nickelodeon during an event in which the film’s director Gabriele Salvatores also took part.

“Mediterraneo was filmed on the island of Kastellorizo in 1991 in two months. Producer Gianni Minervini repeated to us many times that there was the need to ‘save’, “Petriccione said.

“Thus, through the Greek culture ministry we managed to get a ship loaned to us for only three hours to simulate the disembarking of eight Italian soldiers on the small island in the Aegean Sea in 1941. However, after the Turkish army spotted a Greek ship flying an Italian flag, a reconnaissance aircraft arrived while the filming was underway.”