The heartbeat of Art and Science. This could be the title of the tribute to Doctor Franco Plastina promoted in recent days in the council room of Palazzo dei Bruzi, as part of the “Excellent Careers” review, promoted by the Culture Commission of the Municipality of Cosenza, chaired by Mimmo Frammartino, in collaboration with the Donnicese cultural association and the AIParc, Cosenza section.
The award ceremony for Doctor Plastina, an emblematic and particularly important figure in Cosenza cardiology, as well as a tireless lover of the seventh art, took place in an atmosphere of vibrant emotion. An event that managed to go beyond protocol, transforming itself into a collective recognition aimed at a person who has dedicated his life to interpreting the rhythms of the heart, both in the clinic and in the poetry of cinema. Doctor Franco Plastina, known not only for his long and prestigious medical career, but also for his profound erudition, has been celebrated as the “doctor of the soul and the heart”, for his ability to reach in depth and promote significant cultural and social changes.
The president of the Culture Commission Mimmo Frammartino introduced and moderated the meeting, weaving the threads of the event and highlighting how Franco Plastina’s dedication constitutes a precious heritage for the social and cultural fabric of the city of Cosenza. The student cardiologists Giovanni Bisignani, director of cardiology and Utic of Castrovillari, Francesco Greco, head of interventional cardiology of the Annunziata Hospital and Antonello Talarico, cardiologist-medical director of the same Annunziata Hospital, offered testimonies full of esteem and affection, describing the figure of a Master who was able to transmit not only the diagnostic technique, but also the humanity necessary to approach the patient. The contribution to the discussion by Franco Petramala, former Manager of the Healthcare Company, proved to be significant as he highlighted Plastina’s professional stature, recalling how the latter’s career was a pillar for local healthcare. Doctor Armando Filice, cardiologist and President of the Donnicese cultural association, focused his speech on the parallelism between medicine and the philosophical vision of Karl Jaspers.
A more intimate and friendly dimension was touched upon by the speech of Senator Massimo Veltri who drew an unprecedented portrait of Franco Plastina, made up of shared passions and that generosity that only long-standing friendships can convey. The contribution of Rossella De Rose, PhD in Philosophy, historical collaborator of Doctor Plastina in the conception and creation of a film club which over the years has become an intellectual point of reference is particularly intense. In his speech he recalled the peculiarity of their method: that logic of de-construction and re-construction of the film through dialogue with the spectators. “We dismantled and reassembled the stories to rediscover the humanity that inhabits them” – underlined De Rose – underlining the pride of a shared path that took care of not only the vision but also the spirit of the public. At the end of the ceremony, Dr. Agata Mollica, President of the Medical Association of Cosenza, also spoke. Finally, Doctor Plastina wanted to reiterate his gratitude for how the ceremony was organized and how it was able to faithfully reflect the order and passion that guided his entire life. The event was much more than a simple honor: it was the polyphonic story of an existence spent between the rigor of medical science and the enchantment of cinema and culture. A memorable day that gave those present the image of a person who, with his charisma and his books, taught everyone that the most significant heartbeat is the one that arises from the encounter between knowledge and wonder. Ultimately, medicine and cinema are searching for the same thing: that spark of truth that makes us authentically human. A tribute – to Doctor Plastina – in which the heart, analyzed for years on a monitor, finally spoke to thank those who, with science and art, made it beat faster.