On 21 July 2021 the presentation of the book by Mgr. Dario Edoardo Viganò “The look: the door of the heart. Neorealism between memory and actuality“, which includes an interview with Pope Francis on cinema, took place at Palazzo Borromeo.
During the event the following speakers intervened: the screenwriter and director Francesco Bruni; the Director of the Historical Archive of the Istituto Luce Enrico Bufalini; the actress Violante Placido (with a video message); the Director of the Teche RAI Paola Sciommeri; the Professor of “Visual Storytelling” at the International Telematic University Uninettuno Gianluca della Maggiore; the Professor of Cinema at the International University Uninettuno and Professor of the Master Media and Entertainment at the Luiss Business School Mgr. Dario Edoardo Viganò.
Ambassador Sebastiani opened the event stating that Neorealism, the literary and cinematographic current dealt with in Mgr. Viganò’s book represented a golden season of Italian cinema, whose stylistic features are still taken up in the North and South of the world by many cinematographers. The Ambassador also highlighted how neo-realist cinema has been defined by Pope Francis himself as a “catechesis of humanity” or “school of humanism”, since it can help us to look, as the title of the book says, with the “door of the heart”.
Francesco Bruni, in his talk, referred to a passage in the book in which Pope Francis stated that digital media can expose one to the risk of addiction and can hinder authentic human relationships. Referring then to the loss in human relationships caused by the pandemic, the director dwelt on the concept of the gaze, which represents, precisely, the door of the heart.
Enrico Bufalini pointed out that the Pope has always been fascinated by neo-realist cinema because of its pedagogical value: cinema becomes an object of teaching and keeps alive a set of values, generating a collective memory.
Violante Placido said that cinema can transport us to places far and near, overturning our point of view or making us feel less alone. Finally, the actress reiterated that cinema often allows us to question ourselves and make us grow, becoming better human beings.
Paola Sciommeri focused on the importance that the Pope attributes in the book to audiovisual sources and stated that through their gaze, viewers can grasp particular details, often unknown even to the actors and authors themselves.
Gianluca della Maggiore affirmed that Monsignor Viganò’s interview with the Pope, entirely centered on cinema, represents a unicum in that, for the first time, cinema itself is described as a subject in itself, not strictly linked to a pastoral message or cultural project, but grasped in its fullness as an authentic form of culture and art.
(Photo credit: Dicastery for Communication of the Holy See)
