Il monte delle formiche / The Mount of Ants, Riccardo Palladino, Italy, 2017, 63′
Documentary, o.v. Italian, French, German, subtitles English
April 30th, 2018, 7 pm, Ridotto del Teatro Comunale di Vicenza – Regional Premiere
The Mount of Ants in the Bologna Apennines is named after a peculiar phenomenon which has happened for centuries every year on the 8th of September. Every year swarms of winged ants arrive at the Mount of Ants and mate in a wonderful flight followed by the death of all the males, which fall exhausted in the yard of the church on the mountain top, a place of pilgrimage. The film, a powerfully poetic documentary, questions the nature of these tiny insects, a symbol of hard-work, and questions human beings, as well.
Director’s bio-filmography
Riccardo Palladino (1982) studied at Dams in Bologna. He works as a filmmaker, has written several essays on cinema and has been teaching cinematographic language in various Italian schools. He curated the cinematography for Daniele Segre’s Vestiti di vita (2004). His first medium-length documentary Brasimone (2014) was selected for the competition at Visions du Réel, at the Bellaria Film Festival (Gianni Volpi Award), at Visioni Fuori Raccordo (special mention).
Trailer
Director and Screenplay Riccardo Palladino
Cinematography Eugenio Barzaghi
Sound Marco Neri
Editing Riccardo Palladino, Carlotta Cristiani
Sound Editing Alessandro Quaglio, Marco Falloni
Music Benedettea Gelati, Miguel Negrao, Dave Seidel
Cast Franca Maurizzi
Production Cameramano, Minollo Film, Rai Cinema
Festival Locarno Festival, Mar De Plata, Annecy Cinema Italien, Filmmaker Fest, Documentaria Noto
Social media https://www.facebook.com/Il-Monte-delle-Formiche-649676425205963/