Archive of films King / Su Re

Italy
2012, 80 min

Section: Another View
Year: 2013

This retelling of the classic biblical story of the Crucifixion of Christ on Golgotha stands out not only for its raw narrative style, but also for its moving aesthetic and provocative shift in meaning. Screened in Rotterdam, The King is a fascinating work that to some extent violates established biblical iconography.

Synopsis

The biblical Crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Golgotha represents one of the central stories of Western civilization. In The King, however, director Giovanni Columbu cleverly avoids creating a lavish spectacle, presenting instead an intimate minimalist drama that looks at just the few hours prior to the act of crucifixion. Unlike earlier adaptations of the story, it does not fit the traditional Christian iconography in which Christ has the charming face of a charismatic visionary – Columbu opted rather to employ an uncommonly moving rawness and realism. Thanks to his strictly spare aesthetic and fresh way of looking at the biblical story (which excludes Christ’s Resurrection), the film is a truly ambitious work of art. Finding inspiration in the mutually conflicting stories of the Gospels, the picture is not intended as a classic Christian adaptation of the Passion which touches audiences with its stories of the sufferings of the Son of God.

About the director

Giovanni Columbu (b. 1949, Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy) studied architecture in Milan. Over the following years, he developed his talent in several different directions. He is the author of numerous books on architecture and film, and since the 1990s he has actively curated an art space in Sardinia. In addition, he worked for Italy’s RAI public television station, creating several documentaries. Columbu has also contributed to several art projects and video installations. In 1999 he founded his own production company, Luches Film. Two years later, he shot his feature-length debut Arcipelaghi (2001), receiving several awards for its screenplay. But it would be more than another decade before he stepped once again into the limelight, with his second directorial effort The King (2012), selected for the International Film Festival in Rotterdam.

Contacts

Sacher Distribuzione
Via della Piramide Cestia, 1, 00153, Rome
Italy
Tel: +39 657 453 53
Fax: +39 657 404 83
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.sacherdistribuzione.it

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About the film

Color, DCP

Section:	Another View

Director:	Giovanni Columbu
Screenplay:	Giovanni Columbu, Michele Columbu
Dir. of Photography:	Massimo Foletti, Uliano Lucas, Francisco Della Chiesa, Leone Orfeo
Editor:	Giovanni Columbu
Producer:	Giovanni Columbu
Production:	Luches Film
Cast:	Fiorenzo Mattu, Pietrina Menneas, Paolo Pillonca, Tonino Murgia, Antonio Forma
Contact:	Sacher Distribuzione

Guests

Giovanni Columbu

Film Director