A colonel takes a hospital hostage to expose a government cover-up. His clock? 56 hours. Yours? 108 minutes of sweat.
Army colonel Gabriele Moresco and twelve of his soldiers occupy a hospital in Sicily, Italy, taking every patient and doctor as hostages and giving an ultimatum to the government: if they won't admit their role in hiding proof of the use of depleted uranium in the Balkan Wars and the subsequent countless cases of cancer among Italian soldiers in 56 hours, all the hostages will be killed. Negotiator Paolo Manfredi is called to save the hostages, not knowing that his wife and daughter are among them.
Acting
Tognazzi's unraveling colonel—patriot or terrorist? You decide.
Writing
The wife-and-daughter twist is soap-opera cruel and totally works.
Director
Claudio Fragasso
Gianmarco Tognazzi
Col. Gabriele Moresco
Barbora Bobuľová
Sara Ferri
Simona Borioni
Isabella Manfredi
Luca Lionello
Paolo Manfredi
Nicole Murgia
Valentina Manfredi
Primo Reggiani
Enzo Torrias
David Coco
Brancaccio
Luigi Maria Burruano
Avallone
Libero De Rienzo
Duzi
Vanni Fois
Conti
Maurizio Matteo Merli
Jacopo
Giampiero Lisarelli
Miccia
Simone Sabani
Fuoco
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on real 'Balkan Syndrome' controversies—Italian veterans genuinely blamed depleted uranium for cancer clusters, making this exploitation with a bitter factual core.
Director Claudio Fragasso made Troll 2, widely considered one of history's worst films. This is his 'serious' period. Yes, really.
IT
