Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Featured in conjunction with Easter celebrations, this program brings together three cinematic incarnations of Saint Francis of Assisi: Franco Zeffirelli portrays the revelations and rebellions of his youth, Roberto Rossellini crafts an ode to his simplicity and fraternity, and Pier Paolo Pasolini follows in his footsteps, summoning him to shape a political parable. These are just some of the fables where poetry awaits at a bend in the path, and wisdom is whispered by the birds. Our warmest thanks to John Drendel for this proposal.
A poetic evocation of the life of Francis of Assisi. Returning from the war, Francis is no longer the same: he reconnects with his sensibility and with nature.
Franco Zeffirelli
Franco Zeffirelli was an Italian stage and film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II era, gaining both acclaim and notoriety for his lavish stagings of classical works, as well as his film adaptations of the same. Films he directed included the Shakespearean adaptations The Taming of the Shrew (1967), starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; Romeo and Juliet (1968), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director; and Hamlet (1990), starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close. His Biblical television miniseries Jesus of Nazareth (1977) won both national and international acclaim and is still frequently shown at Christmas and Easter in many countries. A Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic since 1977, Zeffirelli also received an honorary British knighthood in 2004. Zeffirelli was awarded the Premio Colosseo in 2009 by the city of Rome.
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