Documentary showcases the art of photography in Sicily

A visual love letter to the Sicilian culture and landscape, Sergio Gianfalla’s documentary “Sicily in Photographs” features images taken by a few of the island’s most renowned photographers, including Angelo Pitrone, Melania Messina and Mauro D’Agati, and the stories behind them.

The film begins with the photographers talking about what initially sparked their interest in photography and then what fueled their passion to master their craft. We are then taken through the Sicilian countryside for a firsthand look at the natural landscape that has captured their intrigue through the years.

“The calling of the lens around here has been irresistible, and it seems that the landscape itself cannot help but pose,” the narrator says.

The photographers talk about Sicily’s enchantment seen through their lenses and the lenses of their colleagues and how the landscape has changed through the years. Pitrone talks about the generation of photographers that came before him, including Franco Fontana, now 90 years old, noted for the rich, vivid colors in his photographs, and the late Mario Giacomelli, a pioneer in photojournalism, known for his humanism portraits and distinct techniques, which included using soft focus, camera movement and slow shutter speeds.

“Obviously, the landscape changes in the photography of those years,” explains Pitrone. “It became a landscape with colors, also because in those years, we begin to see new photographers, for example, Franco Fontana with very geometric landscapes that impressed me, and the landscapes of Mario Giacomelli.”

Although the film is steeped strongly in the past, reflecting on photography as documenting days gone by, there is also an emphasis on contemporary photographers and the stories behind their works. Some photos are haunting and mysterious, while others are full of color and personality, resembling oil paintings on canvas. Whatever the genre or time period, the stories are unique and give insight into the thoughts and visions of the artists who created them.

Click here to stream “Sicily in Photographs” on Amazon.

-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for Fra Noi. Click here to subscribe.

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