Location: Via Alpe Adria 67, San Pietro al Natisone/Špeter 33049 (UD) - Slovenski kulturni dom
Year: 2025
Duration: 31 minutes
Language: Slovenian
Subtitles: Italian
The film retraces the life and work of Živa Gruden, a cultural promoter, linguist, and ethnologist whose research and teaching have become deeply intertwined with the cultural fabric of Benečija (the Slovenian-speaking area of northeastern Italy). Her childhood in Opčine/Opicina, among her home, the tram tracks, and the local community, becomes the starting point for seeing language as a living bond between people.
In Trieste and Ljubljana, she deepened her passion for culture and language, while in Benečija she discovered a place where words still whisper of the life and traditions of the Slovenian community living there. Her research went beyond linguistics — it unfolded within the community, among people and children who still spoke and listened to the local Benečija dialect. From this work grew the idea of founding a bilingual school, which became a cornerstone for preserving language and identity in the region.
The film is a tribute to Živa Gruden’s perseverance, warmth, and vision, as she devoted her life to language as a living space of the community — of its past and its future. Produced by Video Pro and RAI – Slovenski program.