Processione

Each year the week before Easter, in a small village in the south of Italy called Sant’Agnello, there is a religious and cultural event that fills everyone living there with great joy. The entire town gears up for this months in advance; the choirs rehearse, the lamps get polished, the cloaks get ironed, …
This tradition is over 500 years old and has brought the community together every Easter since 1424.

When visiting family there, the man in charge of the confraternity asked me to make some pictures for their facebook page. I suggested filming it, and created this short video trying to encapsulate the essentials of this beautiful tradition. We released this during the peak of the COVID outbreak, when millions of Italians were bound to their own homes. This was also the first time in history this event was cancelled. The local community showed great appreciation to this film, making them feel closer together in times of separation.

This film was made possible by Arciconfraternita SS Sacramento e Natività di Maria Vergine - Sant'Agnello, Smoke & Mirrors, Grand Central.
With special thanks to Michele Gustaferro, Gianluigi Sessa, Oliver Creamer, Glen Percival, Louis O’Connell, Aaron Taffel.