The Art of Crime

3,700 km of coastline, a Fiat 1100, and an old travel diary, those are the ingredients for Pepe Danquart’s documentary. Following the footsteps of the great Italian thinker Pier Paolo Pasolini, the filmmaker gains a deep insight into the social reality of present-day Italy. The country is massively affected by globalization, migration and the phenomenon of mass tourism, which, more than ever, is characterised by the same hedonistic conformity that Pasolini lamented more than fifty years ago. Ahead of me the South is a poetic contemporary document, a kaleidoscopic picture of the Italy of today.

Discover Verdi’s magnificent ‘hometown’, the Parma region. From the small village of Le Roncole, near Parma, where Verdi was born, to the estate situated close to Parma, where Verdi always returned and chose to spend most of his life, despite the great triumphs he achieved in Milan, Venice, Naples and other major cities. We discover how Verdi ‘still lives on’ in the region and has even shaped the local landscape, from the daily life of a simple farmer to that of one of the world’s greatest opera stars, Leo Nucci, who is a regular guest at the Verdi Festival in Parma. From the 27-opera box set ‘Tutto Verdi’.

In Palermo (Italy), a group of supporters found a grassroots football club to oppose the commercial model of modern football and return the game to its community, while the daily lives of members, players, and volunteers intertwine through personal sacrifices, dreams, and resistance.

Three rock climbing ascents in Val Bregaglia, Italy by Karl Freimann and Philipp Wieland, who made the first ascent of Fiamma in 1936. The film starts with valley scenes. Wieland and Freimann climb up the waterfall to the old Albigna hut. Then they start the heavy climbing work on the extremely exposed needle of Fiamma in a repetition of their first ascent two years before. The team also climbs the needle of Ago di Sciora and Monte Sissone. A film by Werner Stauffacher and Swiss mountain photographer Andreas Pedrett.

The film is a kind of docu-fiction about a boy who enrolls in a battalion of young mountain troops. The film follows his daily life in the military school and pays special attention to maneuvers and training exercises in the mountain, which include mountaineering and rock climbing lessons. The film, by Giovanni Vernuccio, was produced in 1942 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce at the end of the Italian Fascist regime, and was made with the collaboration of the 36th group of Alpine battalions 'Fabio Filzi' of the federal command GIL of Turin during the preparatory course for the festive camp of Balme.

Documentary on alpine refuges and the life of mountaineers. The film begins with images recreating vintage mountain climbers that end up spending a night in a fortune shelter. Then the scene is linked with images of a current refuge and explains how refuges are today, showing models and images of real refuges and explaining how life is in them and the role they play in mountaineering. The film was produced in 1942 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.

Two climbers progress on an alpine glacier and reach the top of a mountain by climbing a long and steep slope of snow and ice. They also have to climb a completely vertical wall of ice using crampons with frontal tips, ice nails, and rope stirrups. The film was produced in 1942 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce at the end of the Italian Fascist regime.

The film shows training maneuvers by the 'Fiamme Verdi' (Green Flames) brigade, instructed by the mountaineering military school of Aosta. The maneuvers include camping, rock climbing, mountain rescue, military positions, alpine and glacier progression, and ski mountaineering. The film was produced in 1939 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.

This short film shows an alpine march of the young fascists of the federal command of Belluno to the Mario Vazzoler refuge. From there, a group of three roped climbers, make a rock climbing ascent to the Torre Venezia and the Torre Trieste, in the Italian Dolomites. The film was produced in 1935 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.

Excursion from the Catinaccio group, across the Alpe di Siusi, to the Sassolungo and to the Sella group. The Dolomites, less impressive in appearance and less elevated than the giants of the Alps, attract a particularly bold class of climbers: here we follow the footsteps of a group of them on a characteristic route of the region. In the group, there are some women. The film was produced in thirties by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.

1906, cinematography by Frank Ormiston-Smith.

The ascent of the spectacular needle Guglia Rudatis (2.202 meters), in the Italian Dolomites by a group of rock climbers. A group of six men leave a wood hut and approach up to the foot of the needle. We see them climbing and progressing on the steep rock face and finally making an overhanging rappel to descend. The film was produced in 1937 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.

Showing the peasants in their quaint costumes, which are only donned on Sundays and Festivals.

Frederick Burlingham visits Vesuvius and climbs down into the crater accompanied by two Italian guides. Contains some nice actuality of Pompeii and the funicular railway leading to the summit of the volcano.

1924, produced by Frederick Burlingham.

1924, produced by Frederick Burlingham.

Released in June of 1921, produced by Frederick Burlingham.

In September 1932, a party of climbers composed of Bruno Detassis, Gino Corrà and Nello Bianchini completed the first ascent of the Paganella direct route. After having reached the summit, the group is received with honors by the people who celebrate the feat. The movie also shows brief images of the inauguration of the 'Cesare Battisiti' refuge. The film, of great historical importance, was shot in 8mm by Aldo Pedrotti.

An alpine ascent around the snow-covered area of Monte Cevedale by a large group of mountaineers equipped with crampons and ice axes. The group departs from the old refuge 'Capanna Casati' and begin the climb through the glaciers. Finally, they camp on a rocky expanse. The film was produced in 1932 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.

An alpine ascent Monte Rosa glacier by a large group of mountaineers equipped with crampons and ice axes. The group ascends from the Gabiet lake to the Corno del Camoscio (3.024 meters) and up the Capanna Gnifetti hut at 3.647 meters. From there they continue the progression by the glacier up to the Capanna Regina Margherita hut at 4.559, the highest observatory in Europa at the time, from where they start the way back to the village of Gressoney. The film was produced in 1932 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.