Alfredo's Fire.
On January 13, 1998 Alfredo Ormando, a closeted gay writer from Sicily, shocked the world by lighting himself on fire in St. Peter's Square, the only time such a protest had taken place on Vatican soil. Despite the attempt by some in the gay community to frame the event as the spark of the &quo...
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| Format: | Video |
| Language: | Undetermined |
| Language Notes: | In English |
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[San Francisco, California, USA] :
Kanopy Streaming,
2015.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to this streaming video |
| Summary: | On January 13, 1998 Alfredo Ormando, a closeted gay writer from Sicily, shocked the world by lighting himself on fire in St. Peter's Square, the only time such a protest had taken place on Vatican soil. Despite the attempt by some in the gay community to frame the event as the spark of the "Italian Stonewall," Alfredo's gesture quickly faded into obscurity. Shaped by Alfredo's own writings, as well as rich cinematography and provocative interviews with family, friends and intimate companions, the film reveals Alfredo's deep interior longing and struggle. Growing up in the religious and traditional milieu of small-town Sicily, Alfredo sought liberation and self-expression through his copious writings. But the weight of Sicilian values of silence, patriarchy, honor and vengeance pushed him down and gradually extinguished his spirit. Even Alfredo's attempt to redeem himself by joining a monastery was met with a sense of failure. It became more and more clear to Alfredo that there was only one way "out"”only one way to be close to God. Alfredo's eventual fire in St. Peter's Square - a trajectory that seems pre-ordained - becomes a Rashomon like event, as the Church, the press and the gay community scurry to pin meaning on the dramatic and iconic gesture: the act of a madman, misfit, or martyr. In the end, what really is the fire that consumed Alfredo and how deep are its shadows? How can we integrate the inheritance of oppression or repression into a life fully lived? Today, as the Church reels from scandal and ponders new directions, the time is ripe for dialogue aimed at building more open and inclusive institutions of faith, in the hope that no more lives are extinguished by the effects of religious intolerance or the need to hide who we are. |
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| Item Description: | Title from title frames. Electronic resource. |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (streaming video file) |
| Playing Time: | Du:ra:ti |
| Format: | Mode of access: World Wide Web. |