SebastianO

Here, Mantegna’s three paintings of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian serve neither some exegetic purpose nor as a prism for some sort of reconstruction. The paintings are pretexts for a stroll through the diffracted space-time of Antiquity and its ruins in modern-day Rome. The editing alternately follows the wanderings of an improbable duo of tourists, out of step with the crowds visiting the Roman Forum, and the route of the martyr and his executioners along paths bordered by natural settings in dazzling black-and-white. To the rhythm of these out-of-time walkers, the film opens up a space of unusual reverie, infused with Mantegna’s nostalgia and Ferraro’s imagination. Here, painting has no “hidden meaning” to reveal, but opens up embedded narratives that are all invitations to let the mind drift. (Alice Leroy)