Documentary 'Il Re Fanciullo' Celebrates Gallerist Franz Paludetto and Castello di Rivara

A new documentary titled 'Il Re Fanciullo' (Portrait of the King as a Child) by Alessandra Lancellotti explores the life of Franz Paludetto, the legendary Italian gallerist who died in May 2023. The film focuses on his last decade at Castello di Rivara, a medieval castle in the Canavese region near Turin, which he purchased in 1983 and transformed into a contemporary art museum and artist residency. Shot on 16mm film and magnetic tape, the documentary interweaves three temporal layers: the 19th-century Cenacolo di pittura (School of Rivara) that gathered artists like Carlo Pittara and Alfredo d'Andrade; Paludetto's arrival in 1983, which saved the castle from a real estate speculation project; and the residency of the last artist hosted at the castle. The narrative follows a young artist researching d'Andrade's drawings, who prompts Paludetto to record his memories on film. Paludetto's intimate confession reveals his dedication to beauty as redemption from the trauma of fascism. Produced by Caucaso cooperative and Tempestade (Portugal), supported by Film Commission Torino Piemonte – Piemonte Doc Film Fund, with collaboration from Archivio del Cinema d'Impresa di Ivrea and Castello di Rivara – Museo d'arte contemporanea, the film has international distribution by Ant!dote Sales. It will have its world premiere at Doclisboa 2023 on Tuesday, October 24, at the Pequeno Auditório of Culturgest in Lisbon.