Film · 2025 · Documentary

Memory of the Sands: Fascist Concentration Camps in Libya

Uncovering the forgotten holocaust of the Libyan desert

"Memory of the Sands" is a historical documentary that sheds light on a forgotten period of Arab history: the brutal genocide inflicted upon the Libyan people by the Italian Fascist forces between 1929 and 1934.The film documents the horrific atrocities committed under the "scorched-earth" policy led by General Rodolfo Graziani, which aimed to crush the Libyan resistance. It explores the establishment of notorious desert concentration camps that held tens of thousands of innocent civilians—including women, children, and the elderly—resulting in mass starvation and deadly disease. Through rare historical archives and moving testimonies from the last remaining survivors, the documentary serves as a vital historical record, reviving the memory of a dark, overlooked chapter of colonial history.