Souls of Naples (2005)
1h 34m
Running Time
August 18, 2005Release Date
Plot.
A portrait of Naples and its inhabitants, in the words of the Neapolitans themselves. Two women gossip about a woman who committed suicide; a man sells tickets for a local tombola; a woman concerns herself about her elderly neighbour. By moving from person to person, the documentary gradually portrays this enigmatic city at the foot of the Vesuvius. James Baldwin once returned a writing assignment about Naples, because he utterly failed to grasp the city. A Neapolitan says: `Naples is a kaleidoscope of thousands of different souls. Their total defines the Soul of Naples.' The leitmotif is Caravaggio's painting Seven Works of Mercy (1607), made for an aristocratic charity that still exists. The documentary mirrors Caravaggio's clair-obscure in its patterns of poverty and wealth. Age-old alleys with subdued light contrast with the glittering chic of a genteel club. Slow aerial shots and poetic texts in voice-over interweave the separate stories.
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This Movie Is About.
Details.
Release DateAugust 18, 2005
Original NameZielen van Napels
StatusReleased
Running Time1h 34m
Genres
Wiki.
Zielen van Napels is a documentary film by director Vincent Monnikendam that was first released in the United States in a special preview at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 2005.
The film covers the many aspects of the diverse and socially terraced Neapolitan society and is filmed primarily in local dialects and Italian. English subtitles were available during the opening preview at the NGA.
This documentary has frequented a number of the more renowned film festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival.