“This scene for me embodies the connection between spirituality, mystery and intimacy that I found in the story of the Black Saint”, explains Ludovica Fales, director of Tales of the Black Saint. “For me it was about going beyond an anthropological gaze and finding visual and intimate connections that could explain the relationship between human beings and nature”.
The film tells the story of Angelina and Aida, who have been running a religious items shop in a small town in Sicily for fifty years. At the end of August thousands of devotees from all over the province gather to celebrate the cult of San Calogero, the migrant saint who came from Turkey across the Mediterranean Sea, famous all over the world for the numerous miracles he performed. The story of the two women reveals the metaphor of a migrant man, whose resilience and courage still serve as inspiration for those who cross the sea.
Tales of the Black Saint it will be presented on Thursday 16 September at the international documentary festival Visions from the world.
Ludovica Fales is a multimedia director and artist, also with experience as a producer and production assistant for BBC and Al Jazeera.
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