Oriol Ferrer Mesia
A new
documentary called "Ai Pioppi" tells the story of Bruno, an Italian restaurant owner who has built an entire amusement park by hand over the past 40 years. Since first learning to weld in the 1960s, he has constructed an assortment of swings, slides, seesaws, and roller coasters in an ethereal clearing in the middle of the woods.
The amusement park, located near the northern Italy city of Treviso, is meant to bring in customers to Bruno's family restaurant. The park's distinct other-worldly feel has drawn plenty of visitors, becoming a tourist attraction in its own right.
In the video, Bruno explains his creative process: "A branch falls, a leaf floats down, a bird flies by, a stone rolls. And I say to myself, 'Maybe I can use this movement.' That's how my ideas are born."
The 11-minute documentary, written by Luiz Romero and released by Fabrica, shows Bruno welding in his workshop, explaining his process and offering his insights into life. The video captures the magical feel of the place as it shows families zooming through the canopy on hand-built roller coasters.