Cosima Spender, granddaughter of Arshile Gorky, directs Netflix docu-series SanPa

Cosima Spender, granddaughter of famed Armenian-American painter Arshile Gorky, directed the Netflix original docu-series "SanPa: Luci e Tenebre di San Patrignano," released on December 30, 2020 in 190 countries. The five-episode series explores the controversial history of the San Patrignano drug rehabilitation community founded by Vincenzo Muccioli in 1978 in Coriano, near Rimini, Italy. It covers Muccioli's leadership until 1995, using testimonies and archival footage to depict both the community's mission to save lives from heroin addiction and the legal and media storm over alleged violent methods. The series raises questions about whether force was justified to keep addicts in recovery. Spender, born in Siena to artists Matthew Spender and Maro Gorky, previously won acclaim for her documentary "Palio" at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. The series was produced by 42, developed and written by Gianluca Neri, with contributors including Nicola Allieta, Andrea Romeo, Christine Reinhold, Carlo Gabardini, and Paolo Bernardelli. Editing supervision was by Valerio Bonelli. The docu-series sparked debate over its impartiality.