Maria Pansini: SEA, STEEL AND SORROW – URBAN BOOK Award 2024

Maria Pansini has won the URBAN Book Award for her moving editorial documentary SEA, STEEL AND SORROW. This project explores the city of Taranto, Italy, and the devastating impact of industrialization on its rich history and environment.

Taranto, once a thriving hub of Magna Graecia, became the home of Europe’s largest steelworks in the 1960s. While the steel industry brought economic growth, it also led to severe environmental damage and a public health crisis. Through Pansini’s lens, we see the scars left by decades of industrial activity and the tension between Taranto’s glorious past and uncertain future. Her documentary serves as a stark reminder of the need for balance between industrial development and the preservation of nature and health.

Judge’s Comment
“Maria Pansini’s Sea, Steel, and Sorrow captures the complex and tragic relationship between industrialization and human life. Her work delves deeply into Taranto’s identity, revealing both the city’s historical grandeur and the deep scars left by industry. This documentary serves as an important reminder of the need for balance between development and nature, resonating far beyond Taranto itself.” – Paul Gadd