‘Maestà - Andy Guérif’

(FR, 2015, 62’, OV, st.EN)

French artist Andy Guérif directs his first feature-length film, Maestà, the Passion of Christ, a live ac¬tion adaptation of the famous XIVth century polyptych by the Italian painter Duccio di Buonin¬segna. Thanks to the split-screen technique, the entire Passion cycle is played by actors, in a setting that is true to the lack of perspective characteristic of primitive paintings.  First only the set is visible. This is slowly populated by actors, who then move from panel to panel to show what comes before and after the picture as it was fixed by Duccio. From the Entry into Jerusalem to the Road to Emmaüs, Maestà revives Duccio’s narration in movement.

Andy Guerif

Andy Guerif is born in 1977 in France. He is artist and director. Portraits d’étudiant (2001) et Why are you running ?... (2002) are his first short films. In 2013 he directs Le Code de l’Art where he associates road signs and pictorial master-pieces. Maestà (La Passion du Christ) is a documentary film which has been presented at the last Festival of Gent: through the split screen’s technique, Andy Guerif gives life to the characters that compose the Polyptych of 26 panels made by the Master Duccio di Buoninsegna living in Siena in the XIVth century.