DANTE

An Understanding of Love

L’amor che muove il sole e l’altre stelle

(True love that moves the sun and the universe)

Divina Commedia, Paradiso, Canto 33

Project Overview

Film Title: An Understanding of Love

Film Type: Romantic/Historical Drama

Production Companies: Abiry Films, Hermes Production (to be filmed in the Cinecittà Studios, Rome)

Writer (Book and Screenplay)/Producer: Mia Giacobbi

Producer: Cristiano Sebastianelli

Main Targets: PG12, worldwide

Countries of Production: Italy

Features: A universal and internationally marketable story, spectacular cinematography and music background, exceptional team and talent, excellent quality for lower production costs through utilization of international production benefits.

Synopsis

Dante Alighieri was a visionary poet, statesman and philosopher of the Italian late Middle Ages. His influence on Italian literature and culture as its “Supreme Poet” was immense and it spread widely to influence not only in Italy but worldwide, further generations of thinkers, poets and writers with a wealth of wisdom, literary excellency and spiritual insights.

Making a movie about Dante Alighieri’s extraordinary life and works may prove a great challenge, unless one embraces Mia Giacobbi-Sperber’s approach of bringing forward complex, lofty intellectual ideas and a multitude of events, in the most simple, palatable way so that the widest international audience could grasp them.

Naturally, in Italy, Dante Alighieri is revered as the summit of cultural achievement and a perpetual example of excellency for countless generations. The goal of the present motion picture is to bring the eternal love story of Dante and his divine muse, Beatrice, as well as all the amazing happenings in Dante’s life and works, not only to Italians, but to viewers all around the globe. It is a unique opportunity to mesmerize audiences, make them think and be forever moved by the topic.

Film's Importance

For the entire world, not only for Italians for whom Dante is a national hero and celebrated master
For the the first time on the large screen
A sensitive and inspired director
A-list cast and a team of highly professional, awarded heads of departments
A very specialized below the line technical group
Spectacular music, costumes and cinematography

Relevance for the Modern Viewer

Dante Alighieri is a hero with whom the today’s audience can deeply identify.

His vivid intelligence, dedication to his craft, endless devotion to his native Florence and eternal love for a “perfect” woman could not protect him from being trapped into a war between belligerent factions and being exiled until his death from his beloved town.

His life, with all his exceptional achievements, has nevertheless evolved around a great deal of suffering seeing the world evolving around hate and discordance, principles totally opposite to the Divine perfection he dreamt of, much like the times we are living in.

Compelling, powerful imagery and unforgettable music with original songs based on lyrics written by Mia Giacobbi, will be used to bring forward DANTE’s unmatched saga.

Main Characters

Dante Alighieri

Visionary genius, son of Florence and organically devoted to his city. Poet, philosopher and politician as well, Dante Alighieri has described and implemented into his life principles which he considered to be most attuned to a Divine order: harmony, care for the other, sincerity and humility. His superior sentiment of love for the ineffable Beatrice has become a symbol of eternal devotion and pursuit of a passion which gives sense to one’s existence and dictates all his actions.

Beatrice

Dante Alighieri’s muse, Beatrice Portinari, embodied all the qualities of a perfect woman and companion. Her physical beauty was matched by an incomparable degree of spirituality, compassion and understanding, to the point that Dante felt all his entire life unworthy of such sublime perfection. The tortuous evolution of Dante’s infatuation with Beatrice allows a review of the most enlightened human emotions relating to the love between a man and a woman. It also illuminates love as a universal notion of connection between a human being and God and as a permanent source of inspiration, creativity and positive actions in one’s life.

The Poet Virgil

Dante Alighieri’s mentor and close friend, the poet Virgil is the person Dante looks up to, learns from and who accompanies our hero in his phenomenal trip through the Gates of Heaven and into the mysterious, both threatening and inspiring, fascinating lands of the Infernum, Purgatorium and Paradise.

From the artistic viewpoint not only Dante, Beatrice and Virgil, but all the other numerous characters surrounding them, such as the members of Dante's family, parents, wife and children, his masters, nobles and benefactors, provide an exceptional opportunity for complex acting.

Writer and Producer Mia Giacobbi has joined forces with the skilled and dedicated producer Cristiano Sebastianelli of Hermes Production.

Their cooperation brings forward a highly experienced and passionate team with over twenty years of experience the film industry and participate at such top features as Gangs of New York, Mission impossible III, The American, Borgia, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Hur and Wonder Woman.

A current slate of films include among others exceptional film projects based on Mia’s books and screenplays, including Pythagoras, Soulmates and Prayer to the Moon.

The Italian Crew

Unit Production Manager - Filippo Lovatelli
Production Accountant - Andrea Piria
Production Designer - Maurizio Leonardi
Costume Designer - Serena Fiumi