The Drama of Christ/Story of a Fresco
Excerpts from the 1946 film by Luciano Emmer
Original soundtrack by Roman Vlad (1919–2013)
Adaptation for ensemble by Rares-Ionuț Ghimpu, based on the manuscript preserved at the Institute for Music of the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice
Coordinator: Adrian Borza

In collaboration with the Academia Naţională de Muzică “Gheorghe Dima” in Cluj-Napoca, the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice and the Cineteca Foundation in Bologna
“Racconto di un affresco” (Story of a Fresco) is a seminal short film from the early days of Italian cinema. It is often considered to be one of the first films to treat art as an autonomous language. Using only images and editing, the film recounts the dramatic story depicted in a Renaissance fresco, transforming the work of art into a true cinematic narrative. Emmer brings the details of the fresco to life — faces, gestures and glances — constructing an emotional narrative without words, relying instead on visual and musical rhythm. The work transcends a mere illustrative or didactic function; the fresco is not merely explained, but ‘read’ as a dramatic text. The time and space of cinema reveal the narrative tension already inherent in the painted image. Drama of a Fresco thus marks the beginning of a new relationship between cinema and the visual arts, anticipating a trend that would establish Emmer as one of the foremost interpreters of Italian art cinema.