If you ask an Italian about Naples, he or she will likely wax poetic about the breathtaking beauty of the city under Vesuvius, but at the same time will also mention its dark nooks populated by truly bizarre characters, not to mention the Camorra, the local mafia. But let’s leave organized crime aside for the
moment and delve into the gripping story of the 2,500-year-old city. Of central importance to this Dutch documentary is Caravaggio’s The Seven Acts of Mercy, painted in 1607 at the behest of a charitable organization founded by several nobles, which still meets every Friday to decide on whom to help next. The myth-enshrouded painting serves the director during his travels through a divided Naples: luxurious aristocratic palaces and the most dilapidated of back streets. The title of the film relates to Monnikendam’s search for the genius loci, and to real Neapolitan souls, authentic figures cutting across the social spectrum, who have literally grown out of the thrilling history of a captivating town.