Adrian Paci's film U'ncuontru screens at Green-Wood Cemetery in April 2022

Adrian Paci's film U'ncuontru (2021) documents a unique nighttime performance of the Vasa Vasa Easter ritual in Modica, Sicily. The ritual, typically held on Easter Sunday, involves life-sized wooden statues of Mary and Jesus carried through the streets by local men, culminating in an embrace and kiss. Paci filmed a special 2021 version during the pandemic, capturing the empty city at night with ambient sounds and chiaroscuro lighting. The work reflects on themes of isolation, reconnection, and hope amid global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine. Laura Raicovich, a writer and curator, discusses the film's resonance with contemporary struggles for solidarity and physical presence. U'ncuontru will be installed and screened at Green-Wood Cemetery's Chapel in Brooklyn, New York, from 1-17 April 2022. The film was conceived in 2020 and features the ritual's traditional elements, including Mary's black shroud and Jesus's loincloth, with doves and ribbons adding to the spectacle. Paci's work emphasizes finding joy in darkness, grounding viewers in a time of volatility.