“Can art save us from war and destruction? I think yes. It is a form of expression and sublimation of beauty. For centuries art has protected us as best it can against the barbarism of man. Attacking art serves to destroy the identity of a people.” These are the director’s words Marco Spagnoliguest of the third day of Magna Graecia Experiencean event created by Alessandro and Gianvito Casadonte and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Calabria Film Commission and the Municipality of Catanzaro, with the patronage of the regional school office and in collaboration with LILT Catanzaro.
The students of the local schools attended the screening of the documentary film “The art of war” which highlights how much the damage to the artistic heritage in Ukraine has worsened the already dramatic consequences of the war. In the intense debate that followed, Spagnoli underlined how art should not be considered an elitist concept: “Art can be found in everything, knowing how to understand and appreciate art can only save people, when possible. Culture is our armor, our armor. It serves to protect us from the world and helps us relate to it.”
Pressed by the kids’ questions, Spagnoli invited everyone to follow their own inclinations and dreams, but also advised not to be discouraged if life instead leads down different paths: “It’s talent that shapes life, but the reality is that the opposite is true: it is life that shapes talent. People bring out the best in themselves when faced with the most disparate situations, even extreme ones.” During the discussion the guest also cited the stories of those who, thanks to commitment and passion in art, has had its own redemption in life: “Success stories, born by chance, are very common precisely because so many artists have not given up. If you are willing to sacrifice yourself – said the director, addressing the guys – to study and defend everything you believe in, that you are passionate about and that makes you emotional even in front of people who will not understand you, it is not impossible to achieve what you want”.
MG Experience, always attentive and sensitive to the values of inclusion, at the opening of the day gave space on stage to three young people with disabilities between 18 and 23 years old, participating in the “ABC” project promoted by Fondazione Città Solidale ONLUS. A multifunctional center that welcomes and offers rehabilitation services for children with autism spectrum disorders and other intellectual disabilities, so that they can become increasingly autonomous and aware of themselves. Tomorrow Thursday 19 October, again at the Casalinuovo Auditorium from 9.30 am, we will continue with the viewing of “Story of a book thief”, an adaptation of the realistic historical novel set in 1938 in Germany during Nazism. The writer Andrea Maggi, famous as a teacher in the Rai docu-reality “Il collegium” will discuss it.