The Italian Cultural Institute of Beijing is delighted to invite you to the screening of the documentary “Caravaggio – the soul and the blood” which will be held on Sep 5th at 7pm.
Caravaggio – ‘the Soul and the Blood’ is a moving journey through the life, works and tormented existence of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, one of the most controversial and mysterious figures in the history of art. It is one of the first Italian films to be shot in 8k.
Caravaggio was a revolutionary artist and, as a result, often little loved by his contemporaries. He travelled all over Italy in search of fortune or perhaps in search of himself, escaping from the enemies he invariably made along the way. Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, Malta:5 cities, 15 museums and 40 of the most famous artworks in the artist’s typical style, filmed in the places they were specifically created for, or in major museums in Italy and the rest of the world where they can be found today.
This Art Film tells the story of Caravaggio’s artworks through in-depth research into documented evidence, placing a particular focus on his life, a life of light and shade, contrast and contradictions, of being a genius and living on the wild side, finding echoes of his personal experiences in his masterpieces.
The narrative develops on two levels: the artistic commentary and knowledgeable opinion of Prof. Claudio Strinati, art historian and Caravaggio expert, also featuring Prof. Mina Gregori, (President of The Roberto Longhi Foundation for Art History Studies) and Rossella Vodret (curator of the ‘Dentro Caravaggio’ exhibition at the Palazzo Reale in Milan) as well as the “photographic” scenes, so evocative and symbolic of the spirit of Caravaggio and his art, helping the spectator come into contact with the way the artist’s mind works, his irrepressible impulses and his innermost experiences.
In this narrative and visual commentary, the man Caravaggio and his tormented life are reconstructed through in-depth documented research, focusing on his life of light and shadow, contrast and contradictions, of being a genius with an unruly, fiery temperament, and finding echoes of his personal experiences in his masterpieces.
A completely new and pioneering way to immerse oneself into the art and spirit of Caravaggio, this is a vibrant film that tells the story of the art created by a man whose boldness and genius were both the torment and the momentum with which he achieved a glory that would be consigned to eternity.
An original Sky and Magnitudo Film production. A project developed by the makers of “Raphael – Lord of the Arts” and “Florence and the Uffizi” with the approval of the General Management of the Cinema Division at the Ministry for Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism, under the patronage of Milan City Council, with the collaboration of the Vatican Media and the Palazzo Reale, Milan, and the support of the Republic of Malta.