The Siege of Paradise

2026 • 85’ • Ireland, Switzerland

In Cinque Terre on Italy’s northern Riviera, fewer than three thousand locals contend with over four million tourists each summer. Across one chaotic season, six very different lives play out in parallel, revealing a sharply funny and surprisingly tender story of paradise under pressure in the age of social-media driven tourism.

Director:
Gar O’Rourke

Producers:
Andrew Freedman, Ken Wardrop, Jessie Hayden

Festivals:
Tribeca 2026

Filmmaker’s Biography:

Gar O’Rourke is an award-winning Irish director whose work spans across documentaries, branded films, commercials, & art films. His debut feature documentary "Sanatorium" (2025) premiered at CPH:DOX in the DOX:AWARD international competition, and after an award- winning international festival run, it was subsequently chosen as Ireland's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Academy Awards, along with being longlisted for Best Documentary Feature. The Siege of Paradise is his second feature documentary. Gar also works on branded projects for clients which include Netflix, Canon, Heineken, Patagonia, Anthropic and Visa.