The Nature of Things

synopsis

This documentary essay explores the inner world of Angelo Santagostino, a man suffering from ALS, which has left him unable to perform the most basic functions or to communicate without the help of a special computer. The illness has permanently imprisoned him in a wheelchair, but he has maintained a rich inner life. The film conveys Angelo’s dreams, memories, and fantasies in scenes that evoke unfettered movement beyond normal horizons, whether it’s travelling through the universe, swimming underwater, or riding rides at a theme park. The symbolic contrast between his immobile body and his boundless spirit creates a portrait of a person who has maintained admirable dignity in the face of death.

„Angelo has been the longest and shortest journey of my life, for sure the most beautiful.” 

biography

Laura Viezzoli (1979) is an Italian documentary director and producer. She works with domestic film and television institutions and is one of the founders of the I Bicchieri di Pandora (Pandora’s Glasses) cultural association, which focuses on education in documentary filmmaking. To date she has made only couple of relatively unknown short films. The Nature of Things, presented at this year’s Locarna film festival, is her feature-length debut.

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