Chapter ten Giussani at the height of reason
A deeper look into the theme of the 2006 Meeting. Not an exhibition, but a journey. Not an exhibit, but an “event” that winds through three episodes, each of 15 minutes, led by a reader –Virgilio–, and consisting in a series of films. The journey traverses three rooms and centers on three videos. The course was inspired by imagination, as suggested by Father Giussani at the beginning of the tenth chapter of The Religious Sense: suppose you emerged from your mother’s womb with the awareness of an adult, and imagine the sudden, yet fully conscious, impact with the world. The three sections of this journey trace the itinerary that this “birth” generates in one’s conscience. The first stage draws one’s attention to the sense of wonder for things, for objectivity and for the splendor of the world. The second stage touches on the first question arising out of this view of things: who made this? Where does this come from? The third stage demonstrates the approach to the “I”: the first awareness that the “I” has of itself is as a “given”, coming from a mysterious “You”. The existence of this supreme, unknown entity (the mysterious “X” described by Father Giussani), on which everything depends, is the apex of reason. The third video ends with a “vanishing point”, that pushes beyond: a man who lives the real intensely reaches the hypothesis of revelation. In other words, reason, «culminates in the longing and the presentiment that this Infinite be manifested». The three films are based on the tenth chapter of The Religious Sense; Franco Branciaroli reads excerpts of the book, with images and music from the works of great artists. There are also passages from the Bible and from authors loved by Father Giussani (Leopardi, Ada Negri, Eliot, Rebora), which help explain and deepen the journey. Moreover, each stage of this journey includes segments of filmed conversations with Father Giussani.
Film editing by Riccardo Bonacina and Giuseppe Frangi. In cooperation with Davide Cestari, Maurizio Crippa, Gisella Corsico, Renato Farina. Produced by Alberto Savorana. Cinematographer: Antonio Syxsty. Director: Emanuele Banterle. Technical Support: Collarino&Morandi.
