In The Siege of Paradise, Gar O’Rourke explores the impact of tourism on one of Italy’s most visited hotspots.
Award-winning Irish director Gar O’Rourke takes audiences on a journey to Cinque Terre, Italy, in the documentary The Siege of Paradise, which had its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival. Cinque Terre has fewer than 4,000 residents and nearly 4 million tourists who visit every year, and O’Rourke became interested in Cinque Terre after learning it had been named one of the world’s most beautiful destinations. O’Rourke’s documentary explores the impact of mass tourism through interconnected stories that examine community and cultural identity.
The Siege of Paradise is O’Rourke’s second feature documentary. It was part of the documentary competition and won a special jury mention for Best Cinematography in a Documentary Feature. In this exclusive interview, O’Rourke explains how he is drawn to the story and hopes audiences reflect on what it means to be a tourist.
Kristin Ciliberto (KC): So, what made you want to tell the story, and why is it a story audiences need to see right now?
Gar O’Rourke (GO): The latter part of your question, I always struggle to say someone needs to see my film because, at the end of the day, you make films because you want to make that film personally. And if it connects with audiences, that’s an incredible bonus. But the reason I made this film was that, you know, many years ago, I was dating someone from that region. She was from the area, and I remember one day she very proudly sent me an article saying that where I’m from had just been voted the most beautiful town in the world. And so I thought, being the cynical Irishman I am, God, there must be so many tourists there. And so I started to dig a little and discovered that, like, you know, fewer than 4,000 people live in this area, yet they get almost 4 million tourists every year. I just thought this was a great subject matter for a film. I began my research and visited Cinque Terre many times over the course of about a year and a half to two years. I learned that there was an overtourism issue, but at the same time, tourism is the local economy. I was interested in exploring the internal contradictions in a situation like that, given that the locals are deeply involved. It’s not like they’re as innocent as the tourists, so I think I just thought, wow, this is very, this is what’s happening in Cinque Terre, and it’s a microcosm of what’s happening all over the world, even in Jersey. It’s happening everywhere.
KC: I also want to get your thoughts on your first visit to Cinque Terre. What was it like for the first time?
GO: So I came there as, I never went there as a tourist, believe it or not. I only went there as a documentary filmmaker researching an idea. I’d never actually visited there until I began to develop this project. So, from the very beginning, because of my ex-girlfriend, I was able to connect with local people. So from the very beginning, I was experiencing what it was like to be a local person there. I was in people’s homes, hanging out with the local mayor, and going fishing with the local guys. I was sitting in the piazza with the elderly people. Just from the very beginning, I wanted to meet as many local people as I could and spend time with them to understand what was happening from their point of view. I was very, very fortunate, and I think, as a documentary filmmaker, you have this very unique privileged access into culture sometimes because you’re able to come into a local person’s house, sit in their dining room, have a homemade meal with them, and be able to hear from them directly how they feel in a situation like this. Right, and I love all the participants who were featured in the documentary.
KC: Was there someone you connected with the most while filming?
GO: Yeah, I mean, look, it’s like saying, what’s your favorite child in your family? I think we all have a favorite child. No, I’m joking, but I mean, look, I was very fortunate that everybody who is in this film I have an affection for and I really love. I think Bartolo, for me, is someone that I probably spent the most time with. He’s the winegrower, and I was really inspired by the way he lives his life and by who he is as a human being. I felt that he was a man who had lived a full life with very strong values and a very high level of integrity. I think he represents the best of Cinque Terre, and he’s also just a wonderful human being if you’re ever lucky enough to meet someone like that. He’s just a great person. There are so many wonderful people in Italy.
KC: I’ve actually been to Cinque Terre myself.
GO: You’re part of the problem. (Jokingly says this)
KC: I am part of the problem.
GO: I’m joking. I’m joking. I’m joking. You know what? I never set out to make a film that says tourists are bad. I’m like, that’s not the message of the film. I think the film’s message is that everyone is a tourist. What kind of tourist do you want to be? Do you want to be the tourist who takes the photo, or do you want to be the one who only takes the photo, or do you want to be the tourist who is culturally curious about where they are?
KC: One of the participants said, “We are under siege”. Someone else said, “A paradise under siege”. Did that quote inspire the title of the film, or did that come from somewhere else?
GO: It was absolute serendipity because I always knew what I wanted to call the film from the very beginning, and it came out in an interview naturally with the fisherman. It came out like we spent 50 days, 50 shooting days, making this. I spent four months in Italy making this project. I lived there for four months. We did many, many interviews, and it actually just came out in an interview where they described it this way. But it was once I began to develop this project, and I understood that it was kind of like an invasion, it was a siege, that language, the idea of the title came from conversations I had very early with the locals, the way they described the situation. So yeah, it came about serendipitously in an interview when they said it. But that’s how many locals feel in this situation.
KC: Moving on to the editing and filmmaking, when you’re all said and done, I know this is your second time working with editor John Murphy. Can you discuss your collaboration process?
GO: In one word, dreamy. John is just, if you’re lucky enough to ever work with someone like John, you know that you’re a very fortunate person because he’s a remarkable editor. First of all, John has a very strong understanding of the human condition. I think his emotional intelligence is so high, but he also has a fantastic sense of humor, timing, and pacing. The editing process of this film was quite long. It was 28 weeks of editing, and we spent a lot of time together. It’s probably one of the strongest relationships a director can have with the editor that you work with and collaborate with. John is just a phenomenal collaborator, and it feels like we made this film in tandem together. I’m very, very lucky to work with him. I really think he’s one of the best editors in the world, you know?
KC: Well, I really love the editing. I loved how this entire documentary was put together. What conversations do you hope they have after watching the film?
GO: Well, the last thing I want is for people to feel guilty about being a tourist or guilty about traveling. That’s not the point of the film. I think what I want people to talk about is, I suppose, when we travel or when we’re in a place, you know, it’s not so much that I want people to talk. It’s an internal self-reflection I would like people to have, to think about how they are as tourists when they’re in another place. It’s as much a reminder to myself as it is trying to make somebody else think about their own life. But I just think we live on a planet with more people than ever. And I think it’s no harm to think about the impact that we have on other places when we visit those places, because we’re all tourists. I’m A tourist, you’re a tourist. What kind of tourist would you like to be? I think that showing some respect or interest or curiosity in local cultures is all you can ask for, or all you can aspire to be as a tourist, I think, you know.
KC: What does it mean to have The Siege of Paradise premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival?
GO: It means a lot. You know, this is an Italian film. Italy has a very strong historical connection to New York. At the same time, New York is a city with mass tourism. Many places now, with Instagram and TikTok, are becoming incredibly highly frequented. So, as a geographical location, I think it’s very fitting for the subject matter of our film. To be in the Tribeca Festival itself, the festival has been around for 25 years. We’re very honored. I mean, it’s a wonderful place to have a film, and the atmosphere here is fantastic. And yes, we’re so happy to be reaching America first with this film. We’re delighted!
KC: I would love to get to know you a little bit more as a filmmaker. Who are some of the filmmakers or storytellers who inspire you?
GO: I’m inspired by so many different things. You know, I’m often inspired by filmmakers, you know, like Ruben Östlund. I really love his sensibilities. I love Yorgos Lanthimos; I mean, I often look at narratives. I take a lot of inspiration from narrative scripted filmmakers and directors. But at the same time, I think that we live in a world where there are just so many amazing things. I watch a lot of YouTube, and I just think about the YouTube channels. YouTube is just such an unfiltered, incredible place to see creators who just do what they want to do without any limits, and they just go for it. It’s fascinating.
Our team is on site for the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, from June 3 to 14, 2026.
