Elio Ciol, the Italian photographer with the most extensive presence in museums and galleries worldwide, is featured for the first time in a biopic that journeys alongside him through the last century of our history.
The story of a humble and reserved man’s sensitivity who learned to write with light to capture nature, spirituality and silence.
The first time I met Elio Ciol, he told me: “There’s no need to interview me, my photographs speak for themselves. If you want to know more, read what has been written about me in the nearly 200 catalogs featuring my work.” It wasn’t easy to win the trust of such a reserved man, who has lived and worked his entire life in the provinces, in Casarsa, the very same village that Pasolini was once forced to flee.
His advanced age required me to change my approach to the project. However, adapting to his slower, more fragmented pace became an opportunity to let ideas settle and to rethink the documentary’s form. I decided to follow his daily life with discretion: a small, non-invasive crew, spending time together every now and then, trying to capture the moment and occasionally prompting actions that might reveal something unconventional. At his explicit request, we agreed that he would be accompanied by those who know his artistic journey best, such as the curator Dell’Agnese or his son Stefano.
Ciol has often been questioned about Pasolini, whom he photographed as a young man and later alongside Maria Callas. He confessed his discomfort at always having to answer the same mundane questions. My goal is to go beyond what has already been said or heard—to stay by his side and capture the very rhythm of his life through photography. It may seem paradoxical, but I feel no difference between his neorealist photos and those of the frescoes in the Cathedral of Assisi.
Dorino Minigutti
Director: Dorino Minigutti
Director of Photography: Debora Vrizzi
Editing: Maria Fantastica Valmori
Producer: Anna Di Toma
Produced by Agherose s.r.l.
With the support of Fondo per l’Audiovisivo del FVG; Comune di Assisi; Provincia Serafica di San Francesco dell’Ordine dei Frati Minori
With the patronage of Comitato Nazionale per la celebrazione dell’Ottavo centenario della morte di San Francesco d’Assisi
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