Cinedigm Acquires Three Annalaura di Luggo Documentaries Out of AFM (EXCLUSIVE)

Leo Barraclough
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Cinedigm Corp. has acquired the worldwide rights, excluding Italy, to three documentaries by Italian artist Annalaura di Luggo. They are “We Are Art: Through the Eyes of Annalaura,” “Napoli Eden” and “Blind Vision.” The films, which were acquired at the American Film Market last week, are set to stream in early 2023.

“We Are Art Through the Eyes of Annalaura” has been submitted for consideration for the Academy Awards for documentary feature and original song (for “We Are Art”). Filmed on location in Naples, it involves the creation of a giant eye made of recycled aluminum, symbolizing environmental rebirth and recycling which, through a dynamic and interactive pupil, projects the lives of four young people who overcame adversities to find new value in life. It was directed and produced by Di Luggo in collaboration with production supervisor and creative consultant Stanley Isaacs.

More from Variety

“Annalaura di Luggo’s artistic eye and humanitarian nature always deliver an unforgettable viewer experience focused on social inclusion. We are happy to bring Cinedigm’s audience a taste of what she has created as we continue to focus on providing premium content,” said Yolanda Macias, Cinedigm’s chief content officer.

The deal was negotiated by Macias on behalf of Cinedigm and Jeff Franklin of ATI on behalf of the filmmakers.

In “Napoli Eden,” Di Luggo is seen grappling with the construction of four monumental works in recycled aluminum, which she places in symbolic places in Naples. The film highlights environmental protection through the theme of transforming discarded scraps of recycled aluminum into works of art and conveys a vision of redemption, social inclusion, and the ethical and cultural rebirth for the city of Naples. Isaacs also served as creative consultant on this film.

For “Blind Vision,” Di Luggo worked with 20 people from the Associazione Teatro Colosimo for Blind students and the Italian Union of Blind and Partially Sighted People (UICI) in Naples to explore, through physical and tactile approaches, the inner universe of individuals who use an alternative way to perceive the world. It was written and directed by Di Luggo and Nanni Zedda.

The work of Di Luggo is based on recognizing the value of the human being as “unique and unrepeatable,” just as each of us perceives the world in our own way. Accordingly, she chooses the eye’s iris as the protagonist of her photographs, as the iris is different in each individual.

Cinedigm commented: “The artist initiates an intimate and empathetic conversation with each of the ‘sitters’ portrayed, in a joint exploration of their inner worlds, so that the individual images eventually incorporate and conserve traces of their protagonists’ personalities, thoughts and emotions.”

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.