The region of Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera coastline is renowned for its stunning vistas, leisurely activity and rich cultural heritage. This exposure and attention has brought an onslaught of visitors each tourist season who descend and overwhelm the otherwise tranquil lifestyles of the locals. Fabrizia Pecunia, the mayor of the Riomaggiore village, reveals that Cinque Terre has over 4,000 current residents… while having an annual tourist influx of 3.5 million people. 

This unsustainable situation sparks an escalating tension between the locals and tourists like Grace and Izabel: two young American “lifestyle content creators” who arrive in Cinque Terre to exuberantly film every moment of their trip. Some locals — like restaurant owner Carmelo and his daughter Giorgia — grapple with the future of their family business, while others — like vineyard owner Bartalo — profoundly come to terms with the shifting dynamics of the place they call home. As Bartalo reflects, “Am I in paradise? Is there a place worth saving, better than this one?” 

With cheeky flair, Gar O’Rourke’s The Siege of Paradise probes inquisitively into a cultural identity in jeopardy and, in the process, delivers a humorous and poignant story of paradise under pressure.—Jose Rodriguez