On May 1, 1945, German forces in Italy surrendered: after lengthy secret negotiations with the Allies, German generals ordered all German forces in Italy to cease hostilities and signed a document of unconditional surrender. Italy prepared to celebrate the arrival of long-awaited peace and the joy of newfound freedom.

And while everyone smiles at the end of the war, in Trieste—and along the entire eastern border—the drama seems never-ending, with the arrival of Tito's partisans, who occupy the city as "liberators." Thus begins the 40 days of terror of Tito's occupation.

"Trieste is ours – Trst je naš" is a documentary produced by Venicefilm in collaboration with the National Association of Venezia Giulia and Dalmatia, the Multimedia Documentation Center of Julian, Istrian, Rijeka, and Dalmatian Culture, and the Federation of Associations of Istrian, Rijeka, and Dalmatian Exiles, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the occupation of Trieste and Gorizia by Tito's communist troops. Nearly an hour of images and eyewitness accounts retrace the terrible 40 days of terror on the eastern border (from Gorizia to Rijeka, passing through Trieste and Istria) between May 1st and June 12th, 1945.

As part of the initiatives for Remembrance Day 2026, on Monday, January 19th at 17:00 PM at the Giotto Multisala Cinema (Via Giotto, 8 – Trieste), ANVGD, FederEsuli and CDM (with the collaboration of the Municipality of Trieste, the National League and the Association of Istrian Communities) will screen “Trieste è nostra – Trst je naš” (Trieste is ours – Trst je naš). Admission is free, subject to availability.

Renzo Codarin (President of FederEsuli) and Alessandro Cuk (National Vice President of ANVGD) will participate.