South Tyrol, benificiary of financial aid until the late eighties, has long outdistanced its formerly rich neighbours.
The economy is flourishing, unemployment is low, the prosperity ubiquitous. In only a few years the northernmost region of Italy
has become one of the richest in Europe.What sounds like a fairy tale in reality comes at a price.
South Tyrol has become a land of speculation, where the highest offer gets the bid.
Nature is marketed recklessly, the Alps are overrun by tourism.
Tradition and ancient customs degenerate into mere entertainment, turning the land into an alpine Disneyland.
H€IMAT is a film which has its starting point in South Tyrol, but South Tyrol is only exemplary for many regions.
What is happening here is happening in similar ways all over Europe.
The region is ruled by power and money, and politicians often find themselves unable to counter this trend.