plan for a series of documentaries
6 x 26 minute documentaries

Symbolic events of one of the world’s oldest cultures, the traditional festivities of Italian cities and neighborhoods are secular rituals carried on by the people who live there. They provide an occasion for an area’s different groups to compete against one another in animal races, regattas, tournaments, and challenges, thereby strengthening their identity. These competitions only last a few hours, but preparation takes place year-round.

historical picture from the Chess game with live palyers
in Marostica, Veneto

The oldest and most well known traditions are the Palio in Siena, Venice’s historical regatta, and Florence’s soccer match in period dress, but there are hundreds of ancient competitions spread throughout the country every month of the year. These are all popular Italian celebrations, symbols of a history and culture dating back thousands of years, which are remembered every year through events that are always the same, but at the same time full of surprises. They include laic traditions belonging to the people in a city or neighborhood and are rarely associated with any sort of religious practice. They are memorials to the collective heritage of a community, which, through reenacting an event from the past, strengthens the bond that unites its people even today. Because preparations for these festivities take place throughout the whole year, they require everyone’s cooperation. Yet at the same time, they emphasize the different groups and rivalries through competitions, animal races, boat races, tournaments, and challenges that put different segments of the same area up against one another.

The grat italian traditional festivities combine culture, exhibition, competition, and folklore. They express the area’s identity and have survived the melting-pot effect of today's globalization.

video di presentazione di alcune tra le più belle sfide, 5 minuti

published under Creative Commons license