Directing duo Julia Gutweniger and Florian Kofler subtly subvert the postcard-perfect ideals of the north Adriatic coast in this engrossingly odd documentary

All the familiar pleasures of a beach getaway – seafood feasts, open-air concerts, lazy lounges under the hot sun – take on a fascinatingly odd dimension in this idiosyncratic documentary. The second feature from directing team Julia Gutweniger and Florian Kofler, Vista Mare foregrounds the invisible labour that goes into the business of holidays on Italy’s north Adriatic coast.

The film opens in the grey months of the off-season, where the only signs of life are the rhythmic churning of a sand dredger. Soon, umbrellas are erected on the beach, while restaurants and souvenir shops start gearing up for business. Shown in static shots, these vignettes reveal the behind-the-scenes logistics not captured in glossy travel brochures.