| caption = The promotional poster for the Acirian re-release of the film in HD
| alt =
| native_name =
| director = Teoza Jin
| producer = Yolisa Byankul
| writer = Teoza Jin
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* Triello Carusso
* Olvio Biancini
* Isanila Serri
* Kwangsun Garam
* Jadu Yeong
}}
| music = Shon Hakan
| cinematography = Gunin Long
| editing = Hagja Oh
| studio = Dolaji Pictures
| distributor = Dolaji Pictures <!-- Per WP:FILMDIST, distributor(s) should be restricted to the country or countries that produced the film. -->
| released = {{film date|1968|05|28|Metzetta}} <!-- Do not add the US release date here please, see WP:FILMRELEASE. -->
| runtime = 92 minutes
| country = [[Metzetta]]
| language = Metzettan<br>Acirian<br>Daxian
| budget = $432 000
| gross = $8 million
}}
The World Guide is a brief (one or two paragraphs), high-level description of your nation so that people can quickly get a sense of what it is all about. Focus on the things that make your nation unique.
'''Worm vs. Mole''' (Metzettan: 벌레 대 두더지) is a 1968 Metzettan film directed and written by Teoza Jin and starring Triello Carusso, Isanila Serri and Jadu Yeong. The film is set in a fictionalised version of [[Trossera]], [[Aciria]]. Centered around an Acirian-Metzettan excavation that discovers large tunnels of unknown origin and their discovery of the [[Worm of the Deep|source]]. The source has slumbered below [[Trossera]] for millennia, and the excavations into its tunnels woke it from its slumber, beginning to wreak havoc on the Acirian capital. The excavation team then begins investigations into how to stop the worm and save the Acirian capital.
The United Republic of Alstin, commonly known as the United Republic or Alstin, is a sovereign state comprising the entirety of the Alstinian Isles off the coast of Crona, in addition to a number of overseas territories. Founded in 1559 as a sanctuary for Protestant refugees, exiles and outcasts as a direct consequence of the then-ongoing [[Great Confessional War]], it began its formal independent existence in 1565 as the [[Kingdom of Alstin]], with the [[House of Ryefield]] reigning until the end of the [[Alstinian Civil War]] in 1688. The following year, the United Republic was formally established, the oldest surviving federal republic, and has long championed the ideals of democracy, civil liberties and rule of law the world over.
The United Republic has emerged as a highly developed nation, ranking among the highest in several measures of socioeconomic performance, as well as being considered as one of world's most technologically-advanced countries. While the Alstinian economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of both the service and information industry, the manufacturing sector remains one of the proficient in the world. These, combined with its Geo-strategic positioning along many of major shipping lanes of the Ocean of Cathay, Sea of Orixtal, and the Polynesian Sea, as well as its long naval tradition, has enabled the United Republic to emerge is one of the world's foremost economic and military powers, as well as allowed it to become a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations.
While receiving mainly negative reviews from critics, the movie became instantly popular particularly with [[Aciria|Acirian]] audiences. The film now has a cult-classic reputation in Aciria, with regular re-releases of the original film being well-received. In 2011, critic Vento Negrino has described the Acirian fascination with the film as a "mix of irony and nostalgia", citing that the older generations enjoy the movie for its nostalgic value while the later generations enjoy a level of comedy from the aged film effects. The popularity of the movie lead to the franchise of the same name, prompting regular reboots of the movie since the 1980s alongside various other adaptations of the setting. The first sequel, Worm vs. Mole II was released in 1972.
[[File:Arcerion Overview Map.png|thumb|Map showing the Confederated Provinces of Arcerion.]]
Since its release, some have said the movie contains Anti-Daxian undertones, claiming the Worm's attack on [[Trossera]] to be symbolic of the threat [[Corumm|Daxian]] pose to [[Metzetta]], a historical ally of [[Aciria]]. The director and writer, Teoza Jin, fervently denied these claims until his death in 2008.
==== Confederated Provinces of Arcerion ====
Located in South Crona, the Confederated provinces of Arcerion are a parliamentary democracy with strong diplomatic ties to other members of its alliance, the [[Cronan Security and Trade Union]]. Founded by the [[Kingdom of Carna]] in the 1700s, Arcerion emerged as a settler state and a major agrarian and rail hub on the continent during the 1800s, of which much of that period was spent fighting the Bush Wars. As it entered into the modern era, it participated in both Great Wars, culminating with [[Operation Lightfoot]], the invasion of [[The Cape]] during the [[Great War|2nd Great War]]. Arcerion is a major exporter of staple foods and agricultural equipment, an homage to its deep-running cultural heritage as an agrarian democracy. It regularly participates in peacekeeping initiatives with other nations such as [[Paulastra]], and regularly works with [[Stenza]] on military exercises in the Songun and Polynesian Seas. Arcerion is also a major diplomatic hub, with it being part of the short-lived South Crona Congress and participating as a member of the League of Nation's Security Council, assisting in multiple humanitarian initiatives. A keystone part of Arco foreign policy is the counter-piracy and counter-terror operations around the Malentine Sea to ensure freedom of maritime navigation and protecting commercial freight passing through the key Warrington Straits waterway. Progressive social policies and common-sense economic legislation make Arcerion one of the most stable democracies in Crona, regularly receiving international acclaim for its civil rights and safe cities.
====The Federacy of the Cape====
The [[the Cape|Federacy of the Cape]] is an {{wp|constitutional republic}} located on the southern point of Crona. Formed through a gruesome War of Independence against [[Kiravia]] and [[Cartadania]], the Cape today is a multiracial and multilingual society with an Occidental, liberal, and modernist culture. It is one of the world's most vital transshipment hubs, and its Songun Straits are some of the busiest waterways in the world. Shaped roughly like a trident, the Cape is home to over 127 million people.
It is home to a variety of LONESCO world heritage sites and is heir to the rich history and culture of the indigenous Cahok peoples and the legacy of Kiravian and Cartadanian colonization. Besides from its cultural sites and bustling cities, the Cape is also known for its vast savannah, imposing mountain ranges, striking escarpments, and white beaches. The Cape is perhaps the favourite destination for [[Kiravia]]n and [[Faneria]]n travellers, seeking a respite from the cold in a nation sharing cultural and economic ties.
==Plot==
Disgraced professor Consio Russetto (Carusso) had recently lost his job at the Imperial University of Trossera due to his fervent belief that the [[Mole people]] of mythology were real. In an attempt to clear his name, he formed a joint excavation of him and his closest friends and students, and experts on mythology from [[Metzetta]]. During this excavation, they discover massive tunnels below the mountains of Aciria of unknown origin; professor Yeong (Garam) warns against exploring further, but Russetto wanting to clear his name, enters the tunnels. It didn't take long for the excavation team to feel tremors, which Russetto's assistant Filocina Ruggieri (Serri) disregards as an earthquake. The team explores the caverns for a moment longer before returning back to Chegallari, where they witness reports of a monstrous worm wreaking havoc on the capital. Horrified, professor Yeong collapses to his knees and claims the creature is the [[Worm of the Deep]] from Daxian mythology, and that they were guilty of awakening it.
While instances of crime and racial or sexual discrimination are few and far between, the prospective traveller should exercise caution nevertheless. The Cape is governed as an {{wp|authoritarian democracy}} and a {{wp|one-party system|one-party state}} with limited judicial redress for certain crimes. One should refrain from insulting both republican institutions and the nation's founder, [[Melvyn Kalma]], and his [[Melvyn Kalma's cult of personality|personality cult]].
With a mythological creature's existence confirmed, Russetto's motivation grew further, now even more sure that the Mole people existed. He declared he would leave to the mountains with or without the excavation team; with some of the team leaving in terror, but eventually a few members of the excavation joining Russetto, declaring the "Mole Expedition". The expedition hurried back to the caverns they found prior, and the exploration of the caverns allowed them to discover the remains of a Worm of the Deep in what seemed to be an ancient battleground. While the expedition was studying the scene, they were quietly surrounded by the [[Mole people]], who after initial conflict realize that the Worm of the Deep had returned from the tremors in the tunnels. The expedition joins the Mole army in their march through the caverns to the underground of [[Trossera]], where they eventually emerge from and defeat the Worm of the Deep, retreating back into the caverns as suddenly as they had appeared, with Russetto's name cleared.
== [[Kiroborea]] ==
==Production==
[[File:HQ Kirav Locator Map.png|thumb|Map showing the [[Great Kirav|Kiravian Mainland]] and [[Koskenkorva]].]]
===Conception===
=== [[Kiravian Federacy]] ===
Writer and director Teoza Jin cited the original idea for the film to have come to him in a dream. While unable to remember the creatures in the dream, he quickly began studying mythology of various cultures in the world; eventually finding the [[Worm of the Deep]] of [[Corumm]] and the [[Mole people]] of [[Aciria]] to be fitting for the storyline that came to him in a dream. Jin also stated he had to adapt parts of the dream to make the Mole people suit the narrative better, but in the end turned out happier with the adapted version to the one in his dreams. Jin wished to one day create a faithful recreation of his dream version of the movie, but died during the initial screenwriting in 2008.
Centred on an {{wp|island continent}} between the Arctic and the [[Odoneru Ocean]], the Kiravian Federacy is a {{wp|Civilization state|civilisation-state}} known for its [[Coscivian civilisation|bizarre autochthonous culture]], [[Global_alcohol_consumption#Kiravia|pervasive alcoholism]], and miserable weather.
Pitching the idea to film studios, his idea was turned down by multiple studios until he reached out to Dolaji Pictures. They promised to fund the film if Jin changed the monsters of the film, which Jin agreed to in return for giving him the rights to control everything about the movie. The studio's grant to control the cast and crew lead to Jin eventually lying about changing the monsters, only ensuring that the board only learned that the monsters were never changed until the film was released.
Long oriented toward the sea, Kiravians have engaged extensively in seaborne commerce, exploration, and colonisation, with the nation emerging as a major mercantile and colonial power during the Age of the Sail. Kiravian settlers populated much of what is now [[the Cape]] and [[Paulastra]], as well as various other territories such as [[Æonara]] and [[Suderavia]] that remain part of the Kiravian realm today. A relatively early entrant to {{wp|industrialism}}, Kiravia today has the second-largest national economy in terms of nominal GDP, underpinned by strong export-oriented industries such as electrical equipment, alcoholic beverages, and pharmaceuticals, as well as maritime trade and a burgeoning service sector. However, development and medium-term economic prospectus is uneven across the nation, with wide disparities in living standards and infrastructural quality between coastal and inland areas and metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, and among the country's various cultural and geographic regions.
===Filming===
As the film is set in [[Aciria]], Jin wanted to film it in [[Aciria]], however, due to budgetary constraints, the movie was entirely filmed in [[Metzetta]], leading to some confusion in audiences when the nature seen in the film was not native to [[Aciria]]. The city used as the fictionalised version of [[Trossera]] also became infamous due to its incorrectly translated signs, creating the controversial Acirian term "Aciliano", used to refer to people of [[Alshar|Alshari]] descent using Acirian incorrectly.
Formally a federative {{wp|crowned republic}} under the sovereignty of the [[Marble Emperor]], the Kiravian political system is generally regarded as democratic, though at the federal level it has been subject to criticism from [[Occidental]] liberals for counter-majoritarian elements of its constitution, the strength of its {{wp|executive branch|executive}}, and a perceived {{wp|democratic deficit}}.
===Themes===
Critics and audiences alike have suggested the movie to have anti-Daxian sentiment, citing the use of [[Metzetta|Metzettan]] landscapes and cities being destroyed by a Daxian monster to symbolise a Daxian threat to Metzettans. Jin was aware of these claims, which he fervently denied, claiming that the movie was filmed in Metzetta only due to budgetary constraints, and on one occasion, called the interviewer inquiring him about it a "horse fucker".
Travellers may find it difficult to manage outside of relatively cosmopolitan port cities such as [[Valēka]], [[Saar-Silverda]], [[Bérasar]], [[Sirana]], [[Pontevedra]], and [[Cities of Kiravia#Sar-i-Pául|Sar-i-Pául]]. Comprehension of major international languages such as [[Caphiric Latin|Latin]] and [[Julian Ænglish|Ænglish]] outside of these urban centres ranges from unreliable to nonexistent, though [[Gaelic in Kiravia|speakers of Gaelic]] are reasonably common in many parts of the country. The challenges posed by a different script, [[Coscivian calendar|different timekeeping system]], [[Federalist system of units|different units of measure]], and an apparently wilful refusal to adopt many {{wp|Signage#Signage_conventions|informational signage conventions}} and international technical standards are compounded by alien social customs and a minefield of cultural taboos, the particularities of which can vary widely from locality to locality. The Office of Visitor Services strongly advises foreigners looking to experience the "real Kirav" to invest in an accredited guide or interpreter and a comprehensive guidebook.
The theatrical release of the film was on May 28 1968 in [[Metzetta]], followed by the Acirian release on May 30 1968. The box office sales were described as "disappointing" by a Dolaji Pictures representative, but regardless of the box office sales, the film's sequel was greenlit in 1970.
Faneria is a country in northern [[Levantia]] with coastline on the [[Nordska]], [[Kilikas Sea|Kilikas]], and [[Vandarch]] seas. Its core region, the Ninerivers, sits along the Vandarch Basin. It posesses several minor overseas territories as well as [[Sorhaithe]], which is a province not contiguous with metropolitan Faneria. It is dominated by the [[Fhainnin Culture|Fhainnin]] [[Gaelic people|Gaelic]] culture group, with notable [[Coscivian culture|Coscivian]], [[Anglei|Aenglo]], and foreign Gaelic minorities. Its [[Government of Faneria|government]] has four branches and a [[National Assembly of the Fhainnin Republic|tricameral legislature]], and is considered a unitary constitutional democracy with good civil and legal rights but a somewhat authoritarian political system dominated by the [[Politics of Faneria#Republican Party|Republican Party]] with legal but weak opposition parties.
Faneria originated from a patchwork of shifting petty states to become a [[Kingdom of the Fhainn|kingdom]] in the 14th Century A.D. with an aristocratic, feudal elective monarchy eventually being eroded into a functionally absolute state and, by the 19th century, a constitutional one with a weak Senate and defanged petty nobility. Faneria was an aggressively expansive great power in the late 18th and throughout the 19th Centuries. At the close of the 19th Century, it was [[Fourth Kin War|decisively defeated]] by the [[Fiannria|Commonwealth of Fiannria]], destroying the monarchy's prestige and ultimately driving the nation into [[Fhainnin Civil War|civil war]] in 1906 and emerging as a radical revolutionary republic under Callac Cananach and his version of republicanism. It later [[Second Great War|attempted and failed]] to create a pan-gaelic union in the 1930s and would eventually settle as a high-ranking secondary power with close ties to the Coscivian world and work to repair its relations with much of the outside Gaelic world.
===Home release===
The film has released various home releases on various platforms since its initial release. Since the 1990s, re-releases have typically offered before unseen media of the film to encourage consumers to purchase the movie; mostn notably the 1992 re-release which included two alternative endings to the movie, which had only been described by starring actor Triello Carusso. One of the alternative endings were accompanied by an extended romantic storyline between Carusso's and Yeong's characters, which Jin said he scrapped due to the lack of relevance to the main plot.
The Fhainnin economy features strong native cultural goods, electronics, and especially chemicals sectors, and produces high-quality medical equipment. It also sees tourism for winter and water sports and manufactures wood products and crude lumber, seafood, and industrial precursors and materials. Its financial sector is popular for international travel insurance agencies, low-risk investment plans, and for banking clients not welcome in [[Sarpedon|Sarpedonian]] or [[Levantine Union]] institutions.
==== [[Burgundie|Grand Thalassocratic Republican Principality of Burgundie and her Commonwealth]] ====
[[File:BurgMap.png|thumb|Map showing the [[Burgoignesc Metropole]].]]
[[Burgundie]] is a vast global nation but its "core" is the [[Burgoignesc Metropole]] on the northwestern coast of the [[Sea of Istroya]], known by landlubbers as the southeastern coast of [[Levantia]], [[Burgundie]] is known for its {{wpl|Cistercians#Commercial_enterprise_and_technological_diffusion|Cisterian}} [[Culture in Burgundie|culture]] (think {{wpl|Protestant work ethic}}, but {{wpl|Catholic}}), and being {{wpl|Progressivism|progressive}} {{wpl|Paternalism|paternalist}} {{wpl|Globalism|globalists}} which they express through the following general societal tenents:
*a strong support for supranational agencies like the [[League of Nations]] and [[Foreign_Relations_of_Burgundie#Global_Improvement|global improvement]] institutions;
*a strong [[Navy of Burgundie|navy]] and [[Revenue Guard|maritime gendarmerie]] to maintain the concepts of {{wpl|free trade}} and [[Freedom of the seas]];
*seeking international trade and military agreements that maintain market stability; and
*establishing new, economically healthy markets for goods carried by the [[Merchant Marine of Burgundie]].
==== [[Yonderre|Most Serene Grand Duchy Yonderre]] ====
[[File:Yonderre_Counties.png|thumb|Map of Yonderre showing the inner borders of its nine counties]]
[[Yonderre]] is a middle power with a population of 100 million located in central [[Levantia]] boasting a strong economy, having the world's second-largest economy by GDP per capita. A highly developed country, Yonderians enjoy a high standard of living and the country offers social security and a universal health care system, environmental protections, and a tuition-free university education. Yonderre ranks highly in most metrics of national performance, including education, health care, protection of civil liberties, democratic governance and gender equality. [[Yonderian cuisine]] is famous worldwide, particularly for its [[Yonderian pastry|pastries]].
Yonderians speak [[Burgoignesc language|Burgoignesc]] and/or [[East Gothic language|East Gothic]] and are ethnically and culturally considered to be a mix of the two since the 19th century, referred to simply as Yonderians (eg Yonderian people, Yonderian culture). Yonderre has a highly romantic relationship with its past as a nation of noble pagans conquered by knights in shining armour. Yonderre also has a highly active movie industry centred in [[Gabion]], [[Vandarcôte]] that acts as an Ixnayan Hollywood. Military technology represents a notable Yonderian export, eg [[Brochet-2]] and [[YOLO]].
[[Yonderre]] is a federal parliamentary elective constitutional monarchy of nine Counties making up the Grand Duchy and has semi-universal suffrage: In federal elections, all citizens over 18 years of age who live in the realm and who have not been declared incapable of managing their own affairs may vote for their [[Counties of Yonderre|County]] election. For national elections, a prospective voter must have earned the right to vote for Parliament, known as the [[Grand Vote]]. [[Yonderre]] has more than 40 million Grand Voters, representing around 58% of all Yonderian citizens over 18 years of age.
==== [[Urcea|Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea]] ====
[[Urcea]] is a superpower which occupies most of southwestern Levantia. It is a constitutional monarchy with fairly considerable civil and democratic rights, though society is entirely viewed through the perspective of the [[Catholic Church]], which is the single most important social institution in the country. Accordingly, the economic institutions of the country are relatively inclusive while its social views are considered archaic and discriminatory by most non-Catholics. Quality of life is very high, but lags for marginalized groups due to soft discrimination which is mostly technically illegal. The country internally has a mix of medieval, Catholic distributist, and democratic institutions which create a somewhat unique social blend. The ideology of [[Organicism]] is the primary governing ideology of the country. Much of the country is like the American northeast or American west with European overtones for some of its cities. Urceans themselves are a fusion of Gaelic and Latin peoples, and their language - [[Lebhan language]] - is intended to be a Romance language incorporating Gaelic and Latin.
Urcea's origins lay in the collapse of [[Great Levantia]], an empire which spanned most of the Levantine continent. Its capital city, [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]], was center of the empire. As the empire collapsed into a number of tribal and feudal polities, the continent was partly united again by the [[Holy Levantine Empire]]. Urcea originated as a series of dynastic holdings within the Holy Levantine Empire centering around Urceopolis, which was held by an ancient Great Levantine family known as the [[Julian dynasty]]. The Julians amalgamated several territories in southern Levantia before uniting it all in a kingdom in 1098. The country underwent various phases of civil war, religious strife, and reform before becoming a major global power towards the end of the 19th century, a status which was confirmed as one of the primary participants in the [[Second Great War]] during the early-mid 20th century.
Abroad, Urcea is heavily invested in its sphere of clients in [[Crona]] - the [[Nysdra Sea Treaty Association]] - and with ensuring the continuity of the [[Levantine Union]], especially keeping it free of influence from Caphiria. Urcea will also occasionally intervene in favor of pragmatic diplomatic stability (rather than specific ideologies) as required or humanitarian missions, though the latter somewhat rarely. Urcea sees itself as the champion of minority ethnic groups and its preferred style of empire-building is by building a large network of small client states forged from minority groups, which it will nearly always attempt to convert to Catholicism.
===[[Levantia#Northern_Levantia|Ultmar]]===
== [[Alshar]] ==
==== [[Corumm|Democratic Republic of Corumm]] ====
Corumm is a one party, evil, totalitarian empire with one overriding goal: keeping its grip over its own population. It achieves this by fake populism, appeals to jingoism, fostering xenophobia and iron fisted security services. Abroad it seeks to increase its clout and extend its tentacles in seemingly benign ways such as rampant mercantilism, active participation in the League of Nations, attempts to weaponise diaspora communities (results may vary) and engaging in corruption with local elites. Corumm is the only nation to ever use nuclear weapons on a civilian target without provocation.
== [[Vallos]] ==
[[File:Vallos Locator.png|thumb|The island of Vallos and its surrounding archipelago]]
Vallos is a region without a local power. Surrounded on [[Sarpedon]] and colonies of those even further it is a tropical paradise for bigger nations. The area is defined by its diversity in climate, geography, and population, but also the array of living conditions and conflict. The latter brings out the ire of the stakeholders in the region: [[Burgundie]] and [[Pelaxia]]. [[Burgundie]] exercises its influence through [[Equitorial Ostiecia]] while [[Pelaxia]] does so via its proximity to the islands.
===[[Equitorial Ostiecia]]===
The former colony is now a [[Burgundie|Burgoignesc]] [[Government_of_Burgundie#Constituent_Countries|constituent country]] with its own merits, sporting a large material and transportation economy for the [[Burgoignesc Metropole]]. Despite this economic reliance the land is known for its proud, {{wpl|Calvinism|Merchantile Reform Protestant}} population of those who settled the foliage-riddled jungle frontier. The country's transport economy would come in the next century after the area developed a capacity to support itself. In present day, [[Equitorial Ostiecia]] has a diverse economy and population, though being an extremely outward-facing country, its resources are sent abroad for manufacturing. Meanwhile, the populace primarily works in the tertiary economy and largely does so from concentrated, urban, coastal settlements. Still, this area of Vallos knows comparative prosperity.
== [[Sarpedon]] ==
=== [[Aciria|Grand Empire of Aciria]] ===
Located in northwestern Sarpedon, [[Aciria]] is characterised by the near cult of personality around the [[Emperor of Aciria]], whose dynasty has ruled and continues to rule the country with absolute control since the late 18th century. The nation's population of 369 million people of primarily ethnic Acirians are fervently patriotic and experience vast financial differences, from the ultra wealthy nobility to the pseudo-slave [[Vietiati]]. The largest minority in the nation, the [[Montanaro|Montanaro people]], face discrimination by the government and have fought for their rights for centuries.
The earliest civilisations in modern day [[Aciria]] were the [[Glaistic civilization|Glaistic people]], who eventually formed various states in antiquity following the flow of Istroyan settlers into the region. The Glaistic civilizations thrived until [[Caphiria]] integrated the warring states into the imperium, which eventually developed the unique Glaisto-Latinic culture which formed into the modern Acirian culture. Aciria gained its independence in 1618 with the formation of the [[Free Republic of Aciria]] which quickly fell into disarray, resulting in a century and a half of disorder in the country. The Free Republic was reformed into the Grand Empire of Aciria in 1783 by Giovanni Montefeltro, the Marshal of Aciria, who crowned himself the Emperor of Aciria and Acirians. The economic and cultural development caused by the new stability quickly allowed Aciria to catch up to the rest of the world.
Its economy is highly developed, with Acirian luxury goods appreciated all across the world, with products like clothing and various Acirian wines being sold worldwide. The tourism board of Aciria also advertises aggressively in foreign markets, highlighting not only its natural beauty but the historical sights in the country.
== [[Australis]] ==
=== [[Stenza|Republic of Stenza]] ===
On the northern part of Australies lies the [[Stenza|Republic of Stenza]], a Polynesian nathion that has taken to the international stage after an isolationist past not too long ago. Being a loose collection of tribes struggling for power among each other for most of ancient history, Stenza was tamed and industrialized by Daxian colinization before breaking free under an authoritarian, isolationist government.
Stenza has been a democracy since the early 2020's, with the nation fighting to prove itself on the international stage while growing economically from the onset of international trade. The nation advertises itself as a modern, prosperous hub for Polynesian culture, set on showing the old world what a 'once colony' is capable of while speaking out against the continued existence of other colonial holdings within the Polynesian sphere.
Modern day Stenza has been described as a pleasant place to visit if one sticks to the major areas of civilization, with the contrast between the developed cities and the less developed in-land towns being clear to all who dare to venture beyond the concrete of Stenza's metropolitan areas. Even the rural areas are seeing modern development however, with a lot of new wealth being put into the once backwards areas.
Revision as of 01:21, 29 April 2023
Worm vs. Mole
The promotional poster for the Acirian re-release of the film in HD
Worm vs. Mole (Metzettan: 벌레 대 두더지) is a 1968 Metzettan film directed and written by Teoza Jin and starring Triello Carusso, Isanila Serri and Jadu Yeong. The film is set in a fictionalised version of Trossera, Aciria. Centered around an Acirian-Metzettan excavation that discovers large tunnels of unknown origin and their discovery of the source. The source has slumbered below Trossera for millennia, and the excavations into its tunnels woke it from its slumber, beginning to wreak havoc on the Acirian capital. The excavation team then begins investigations into how to stop the worm and save the Acirian capital.
While receiving mainly negative reviews from critics, the movie became instantly popular particularly with Acirian audiences. The film now has a cult-classic reputation in Aciria, with regular re-releases of the original film being well-received. In 2011, critic Vento Negrino has described the Acirian fascination with the film as a "mix of irony and nostalgia", citing that the older generations enjoy the movie for its nostalgic value while the later generations enjoy a level of comedy from the aged film effects. The popularity of the movie lead to the franchise of the same name, prompting regular reboots of the movie since the 1980s alongside various other adaptations of the setting. The first sequel, Worm vs. Mole II was released in 1972.
Since its release, some have said the movie contains Anti-Daxian undertones, claiming the Worm's attack on Trossera to be symbolic of the threat Daxian pose to Metzetta, a historical ally of Aciria. The director and writer, Teoza Jin, fervently denied these claims until his death in 2008.
Disgraced professor Consio Russetto (Carusso) had recently lost his job at the Imperial University of Trossera due to his fervent belief that the Mole people of mythology were real. In an attempt to clear his name, he formed a joint excavation of him and his closest friends and students, and experts on mythology from Metzetta. During this excavation, they discover massive tunnels below the mountains of Aciria of unknown origin; professor Yeong (Garam) warns against exploring further, but Russetto wanting to clear his name, enters the tunnels. It didn't take long for the excavation team to feel tremors, which Russetto's assistant Filocina Ruggieri (Serri) disregards as an earthquake. The team explores the caverns for a moment longer before returning back to Chegallari, where they witness reports of a monstrous worm wreaking havoc on the capital. Horrified, professor Yeong collapses to his knees and claims the creature is the Worm of the Deep from Daxian mythology, and that they were guilty of awakening it.
With a mythological creature's existence confirmed, Russetto's motivation grew further, now even more sure that the Mole people existed. He declared he would leave to the mountains with or without the excavation team; with some of the team leaving in terror, but eventually a few members of the excavation joining Russetto, declaring the "Mole Expedition". The expedition hurried back to the caverns they found prior, and the exploration of the caverns allowed them to discover the remains of a Worm of the Deep in what seemed to be an ancient battleground. While the expedition was studying the scene, they were quietly surrounded by the Mole people, who after initial conflict realize that the Worm of the Deep had returned from the tremors in the tunnels. The expedition joins the Mole army in their march through the caverns to the underground of Trossera, where they eventually emerge from and defeat the Worm of the Deep, retreating back into the caverns as suddenly as they had appeared, with Russetto's name cleared.
Production
Conception
Writer and director Teoza Jin cited the original idea for the film to have come to him in a dream. While unable to remember the creatures in the dream, he quickly began studying mythology of various cultures in the world; eventually finding the Worm of the Deep of Corumm and the Mole people of Aciria to be fitting for the storyline that came to him in a dream. Jin also stated he had to adapt parts of the dream to make the Mole people suit the narrative better, but in the end turned out happier with the adapted version to the one in his dreams. Jin wished to one day create a faithful recreation of his dream version of the movie, but died during the initial screenwriting in 2008.
Pitching the idea to film studios, his idea was turned down by multiple studios until he reached out to Dolaji Pictures. They promised to fund the film if Jin changed the monsters of the film, which Jin agreed to in return for giving him the rights to control everything about the movie. The studio's grant to control the cast and crew lead to Jin eventually lying about changing the monsters, only ensuring that the board only learned that the monsters were never changed until the film was released.
Filming
As the film is set in Aciria, Jin wanted to film it in Aciria, however, due to budgetary constraints, the movie was entirely filmed in Metzetta, leading to some confusion in audiences when the nature seen in the film was not native to Aciria. The city used as the fictionalised version of Trossera also became infamous due to its incorrectly translated signs, creating the controversial Acirian term "Aciliano", used to refer to people of Alshari descent using Acirian incorrectly.
Themes
Critics and audiences alike have suggested the movie to have anti-Daxian sentiment, citing the use of Metzettan landscapes and cities being destroyed by a Daxian monster to symbolise a Daxian threat to Metzettans. Jin was aware of these claims, which he fervently denied, claiming that the movie was filmed in Metzetta only due to budgetary constraints, and on one occasion, called the interviewer inquiring him about it a "horse fucker".
Releases
Theatrical release
The theatrical release of the film was on May 28 1968 in Metzetta, followed by the Acirian release on May 30 1968. The box office sales were described as "disappointing" by a Dolaji Pictures representative, but regardless of the box office sales, the film's sequel was greenlit in 1970.
Home release
The film has released various home releases on various platforms since its initial release. Since the 1990s, re-releases have typically offered before unseen media of the film to encourage consumers to purchase the movie; mostn notably the 1992 re-release which included two alternative endings to the movie, which had only been described by starring actor Triello Carusso. One of the alternative endings were accompanied by an extended romantic storyline between Carusso's and Yeong's characters, which Jin said he scrapped due to the lack of relevance to the main plot.
