In partnership with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, and for the first time since its creation, BAFF offers a non-documentary film on a tormented period in the life of Michelangelo, a rich and contrasting portrait of the Italian master: Il Peccato / Sin, (2020, 134’, drama, original version with English subtitles) by Andrei Konchalovsky.
Andrei Konchalovsky’s movie follows Michelangelo through the agonies and ecstasy of his own creative genius, as two rival noble factions compete for his loyalty. Florence, early XVI century. Although widely considered a genius by his contemporaries, Michelangelo Buonarroti (Alberto Testone) is reduced to poverty and depleted by his struggle to finish the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When his commissioner and head of the Della Rovere nobility Pope Julius II dies, Michelangelo becomes obsessed with sourcing the finest marble to complete his tomb. The artist’s loyalty is tested when Leo X, of the rival Medici family, ascends to the papacy and charges him with a lucrative new commission – the façade of the San Lorenzo basilica. Forced to lie to maintain favor with both families, Michelangelo is progressively tormented by suspicion and hallucinations, leading him to ruthlessly examine his own moral and artistic failings. Written and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, the movie is a gripping reflection on the agony and ecstasy of individual greatness, and the profound humanity behind the legend of the Renaissance.
Il Peccato / Sin “is not a biopic, but rather the portrait of the artist at the peak of his career, at the beginning of the 16th century, when Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) is both celebrated and hated for his genius and his stormy temperament, his anger and his betrayals. " Clarisse Fabre in Le Monde 10/21/20.
