Bestiari, erbari, lapidari: A Cinematic Encyclopedia Tours Italy
Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti's four-year project 'Bestiari, erbari, lapidari' premiered out of competition at the 81st Venice Film Festival. The documentary is structured as a visual encyclopedia divided into three macro-chapters—animals, plants, and minerals—using archival footage, poetic film, and industrial observation. It draws on medieval bestiaries, herbals, and lapidaries, and opens with a reference to John Berger's essay 'Why Look at Animals?' The film reflects on Europe and its transformations through literature and imagery. Distributed by Luce Cinecittà, it will be released in Italian theaters starting October 5, 2024, accompanied by a tour with the directors. The tour begins October 5 at Fondazione Prada in Milan and concludes October 26 in Aosta, where the film will open FrontDoc, the International Frontier Film Festival.
Key facts
- Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti directed the film.
- The film took four years to complete.
- It premiered out of competition at the 81st Venice Film Festival.
- The documentary is divided into three chapters: animals, plants, and minerals.
- It uses archival footage, poetic film, and industrial observation.
- The film references John Berger's essay 'Why Look at Animals?'.
- Luce Cinecittà distributes the film from October 5, 2024.
- The tour starts October 5 at Fondazione Prada in Milan and ends October 26 in Aosta at FrontDoc.
Entities
Artists
- Massimo D'Anolfi
- Martina Parenti
- John Berger
Institutions
- Fondazione Prada
- Luce Cinecittà
- FrontDoc – Festival Internazionale del Cinema di Frontiera
- Artribune
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Aosta
- Venice