“Stories of Hope” is a long-term project. I meet ordinary people that carry a message of hope, a fragment of the future”
— Luca
Story #15 - Carlo
The need to understand. To avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Carlo Bisconti, Monterotondo, Roma (Italy)
(English version at the bottom)
Ho conosciuto Carlo a Monterotondo, un paese sulla via Salaria fuori Roma. Sono trenta minuti di treno circa dal centro città.
Carlo ama il teatro. Lo fa da 45 anni, dai tempi dell'asilo e dalle prime recite. Nello stesso posto, il Teatro Sala Molloy, di Monterotondo.
“Mi sarebbe piaciuto fare l’attore come professione, inutile negarlo. E’ una passione che ho dentro e che mi porta a trovare nuove storie.”
Mi racconta del suo ultimo lavoro, che ha portato in scena poche settimane fa. Ora é qui in teatro, in un sabato pomeriggio, per rimontare la scena e realizzare un video per promuovere lo spettacolo .
Si intola GUER ed é inspirato dalla Guernica, il famoso dipinto di Picasso. Ma soprattutto dalla storia che c'è dietro il dipinto. Carlo é partito dal dipinto, con infinite ricerche, cercando di isolare le sue varie parti ed immaginare le storie che ci sono dietro.
A proposito di creatività
"Tutto é iniziato durante il lockdown, in cui ho avuto più tempo a disposizione. Volevo capire cosa c'era dietro la storia del Guernica"
Un altro esempio, come in molte delle storie presenti un questo blog, di come la chiusura di tutto ha generato un'apertura creativa.
“Il lavoro di GUER é cominciato con un’idea che avevo: partire dal dipinto e tirar fuori ed estrapolare le immagini, le sagome, i personaggi che stanno dentro la Guernica.”
“Dal punto di vista scenico, siamo partiti dall’immagine totale del dipinto, abbiamo ricavato le sagome sui pannelli di legno e, con mia figlia, illustratrice, abbiamo creato le scene.”
Con un piccolo gruppo di fidati compagni di viaggio, tra i quali la figlia, Carlo é rimasto un anno in queto piccolo teatro di provincia, per capire come definire il dipinto e come portarlo in scena.
"Il fatto che i teatri fossero chiusi al pubblico per il COVID ci ha favorito . E' stato un processo di elaborazione delle informazioni, di studio, di ricerca, incluso la testimonia di uno degli ultimi superstiti, Luis Iriondo , 14enne all'epoca dei fatti. Siamo addirittura andati a Madrid a vedere l'origanle.
Sono sempre stato affascinato dalla deformità delle immagini di Picasso e dal Guernica in particolare. E’ stata una grande scoperta, emozionante sapere sapere cosa c’é dietro e come Picasso é arrivato a questo lavoro. Cosa era successo quella giornata? Perché le morti di quelle persone innocenti?"
Carlo non avrebbe mai pensato che, dopo due anni e mezzo, il suo GUER divenisse di cosi forte attualità, con la guerra in Ukraina.
La forza attaule di questo spettacolo é che GUER é ispirato al bombardamento di Guernica, a quella giornata , ma si può’ associare tranquillamente a quello che succedo oggi a Mariapol in Ucraina.
Racconta le vittime di qualsiasi tipo di guerra.
"Non avremmo mai pensato che la nostra idea descrivesse la realtà che ci circonda. Questo ci dà nuove motivazioni per portare GUER alle scuole, ai ragazzi, per aiutare a far riflettere e a spiegare che troppo spesso ci dimentichiamo della storia".
Il testo é stato creato sulla testimonianza di un 14enne che ritorna al ricordo di quella giornata. Lo spettacolo inizia con una proiezione di alcune notizie che collocano quella giornata nella guerra civile in Spagna, alla salita al potere di Francisco Franco e all’entraa in scena dell’aviazione tedesca e italiana, all’origine del bombardamento a grappolo di Guernica, il primo del suo genere.
Poi il telo si strappa e escono le sagome e gli elementi del Guernica: le sagome sono tutto quello che nascondo le macerie, la distruzione, la morte, la sofferenza… si trasformano e diventano il quadro.
Persone come Carlo hanno una passione speciale. Il viaggio dentro la Guernica é un viaggio attuale, ma che non vorremmo mai fare. Lasciano un segno di speranza, perché ci ricordano gli errori della storia, ci aiutano a capire al di là delle immagine di un dipinto o di un servizio del telegiornale. Perché dietro ci sono persone, madri e padri di famiglia, bambini, anziani sperduti che non vogliono lasciare la terra e si chiedono "perché tutto questo?"
Carlo, spero di vedere il tuto spettacolo, prima o poi. nel frattempo spero tu riesca a promuoverlo tra le scuole e le comunità di Roma e del Lazio (almeno per ora). Per sforzarci di capire.
“Sembra di essere nell’aprile del 1937, a Guernica.”
I met Carlo in Monterotondo, a town on Salaria National Road, 30 min train North of Rome.
Carlo loves theatre. He has been performing for 45 years since his first act at nursery school. Always in teh same theatre, il Teatro Sala Molloy, di Monterotondo.
"I would have loved working as a professional actor. It is a passion, and I will always find time to create new stories and shows ".
He told me about his last work, performed just a few weeks ago.
GUER, the title of his show, takes inspiration from Guernica, the famous painting by Pablo Picasso. But in reality, it is not the piece of art that inspired Carlo but rather the story behind the image.
"Everything started during the lockdown. I had more time, and I wanted to learn more about the hidden stories behind Guernica".
Another example, like many others in this blog, that shows how the lockdown generated creativity.
"From a scenography standpoint, we decompose the Guernica in several parts, creating, together with my daughter, wooden panels and the scenes. We had time, as the theatres were closed, so it took us almost one year of work. We look at testimonies, books, and interviews, including the one from Luisi Iriondo, one of the survivors from this tragedy. He was 14 at that time. We even went to Madrid to admire the 'Guernica' a. What happened exactly that day? Why some many death? who those persons were?"
Carlo never imagined that GUER, created 2 years ago, became so actual today, with the war in Ukraine.
The show's power is that it describes a tragedy that occurred in Guernica in a given historical context. Still, it can be linked to what is happening today in Mariapol or in other cities in Ukraine.
GUER tells about victims of all wars.
That is why Carlo is motivated to bring the story to schools, children, and local communities. To help thinking and raise awareness that we often forget about history and repeat the same mistakes.
Carlo, I hope one day I can come to see your GUER. In the meantime, I hope you can bring your show to as many schools as possible. To help us better understand the situations behind the sufferance and pain.
PS.
A few weeks ago, on 5 April, Ukraine President Zelenski, in front of the member of the Parliament, said: "It feels we are in April 1937, in Guernica".
Carlo Bisconti, Monterotondo (Rome), Italy
STORIES of HOPE. Simple stories of ordinary people that carry a message of hope, a fragment of future. I have been meeting incredible people, that transmit energy, passion, engagement. I talk to them and try to find their message of hope.
Story#14 - Vassiliki
An unfair loss transformed in energy to save lives
Vassiliky, AthensI met Vassiliki in Athens on a tough day for her. 22 March, the day when, eighteen years before, her son Panos was killed at the age of 22 by a reckless driver on his way to class at the University of Patras, 230 km east of the Greek capital.
Even more, we drove the same road. More precisely, we took the new motorway recently built next to the national roadway where the accident occurred. A windy a cald day, that you do not expect in Greece.
A difficult drive"It was a Monday at 12:15, and if the motorway had been ready, Panos hadn't died".
The world stopped for her and her family. You can grasp that feeling only if you experience road fatality directly in your family or in a close circle of friends.
Even though more than 1.3 million persons die on the world's roads every year, it is an invisible pandemia. Till the moment, it gets close to you because it affects your loved ones.
With a solid and well-advanced career in telecommunication, Vassiliki decided to turn all her sadness, anger and unfair loss into something positive. A necessity: no more human losses on the streets of her country.
She sacrificed her career in the telecommunication space and, one year after Panos died, she set up the «Hellenic Research and Educational Institute for Road Safety, Prevention and Reduction of traffic accidents "Panos Mylonas"», an NGO dedicated to improving road safety.
Since then, Vassiliki, with tireless dedication and commitment, promoted many activities, engaging universities, institutions, and the private sector.
"No one should die as Panos did. We can prevent similar situations from happening".
A challenging day on that route.
"I drive at least 125,000 km per year, but on this very road, I don't feel safe, I get too emotional, particularly today".
Vaggelis, one of her talented staff (the Institute now counts 15 employees without the volunteers and freelance) took over the drive.
She told me about the countless activities promoted by the Institute: for children at schools; for tourists at the border when visiting her country; for students at the Universities; for citizens in public squares.
She built a network of support, because she strongly believe road safety should concern everybody, with no esclusions.
Involving everyone
"This is our message. It encourages a safe driving. You see? We have been mobilising everybody"
All Greek Community trust and respect her because she channelled an unfair loss into something positive for the society, implementing evidence-based programmes and contributing to saving lives.
That is also probably why one of the tunnels of the new motorway was entitled to Panos.
The day after I met Vassiliki, the Academy of Athens has awarded her and the Road Safety Institute “Panos Mylonas” with a distinction for Ethics and Political Sciences, for the year 2021, for their exceptional work in raising awareness on road safety and mobility education among citizens
Awards, recognitions, ceremonies help her to remember every day why she is dedicating her life to road safety and give her new strenghts to design new activities for the Foundation. The website of the R.S.I Panos Mylonas gives a concrete idea of the actions implemented and new projects are on the horizon.
"Here is where our new challenge: a training centre for safe mobility for professional drivers"
It is impressive to experience what she has created in Greece over the last few years.
Vassiliki suffered a tremendous loss, but she probably saved a thousand lives in Greece, thanks to her tireless work.
"Sometime things happen. You cannot imagine how strong you can be after such a loss, and sometimes things lift me up. That gives me strength to continue".
Vasiliki Danelli-Mylona
STORIES of HOPE. Simple stories of ordinary people that carry a message of hope, a fragment of future. I have been meeting incredible people, that transmit energy, passion, engagement. I talk to them and try to find their message of hope.
Story#13 Back on stage
Back on Stage (see my story 7)
Thierry, on stage
‘Storiesofhope’ allows me to meet new people and I am so happy that the first post of the New Year goes back to one of the initial stories.
Thierry was my story#7, but I was the second person I met in April 2021 in Nice, South of France.
During our conversation, I learned from him about one of his plays, designed to be performed in private houses and apartments during the first lockdown: theatres were closed and the possibility to perform in front of spectators, was to bring the shows in private houses (or gardens, or private areas).
But then, as we know, also this opportunity was precluded and for actors was impossible to perform, apart from live-streaming and via internet.
Neverthertheless, Thierry, like many other artists, started thinking of his following projects, theatre for children, new plays, and other new ideas.
One of these was the adaptation for the theatre of his play initially designed for apartments. « Qui va là ?" run here in Paris last December at the Theo Theatre, a small theatre but particularly suitable for this very play.
Founded in 1995, Theo Theatre creates an opportunity to showcase innovative projects and promote the work of young artists.
Thierry kindly invited me to visit him during one of his performances.
I join him right before the show to experience the setting up and to live the moment right before the show: the play is a 'one-man show' and doesn't require much equipment or furniture. But still, there is preparation, concentration and setting up (lights; perspective; materials).
'Qui va là' is a story, written by Emmanuel Darleyn, of an ordinary man. He sits next to the spectators, waiting for the show to start. Realising that the actors are late, he takes the stage and begins his journey on his memories, looking back in time and imagining the scene as his family's apartment. He evokes his childhood, describes his mother and re-imagines his life, entering into a personal dialogue with the spectators.
"Qui va là?" is an intimate play where Thierry shines in bringing the different sentiments and emotions. His storytelling captures the public in a crescendo of emotions.
It is so good to witness and tell stories that come true and become life. That is why I started this project after all.
“See you at your next show, Thierry!”
STORIES of HOPE. Simple stories of ordinary people that carry a message of hope, a fragment of future. I have been meeting incredible people, that transmit energy, passion, engagement. I talk to them and try to find their message of hope.
Story#12 - Nino
A journey to be an artist
Nino, Paris (France)
Nino is a young artist from Georgia who has been studying and living in Paris. I met her at Beaux-Art de Paris, a dream for many artists. The art school receives yearly many applications and is one of the most competitive schools to access.
The website makes it clear: "Beaux-Arts de Paris is a place of artistic instruction and experimentation, exhibitions and conservation of historical and contemporary collections, as well as a publishing house."
Beaux-Art de Paris's mission is to educate and train students planning to devote themselves to high-level artistic creation. So, if you want to be an artist, this is definitely an experience that can help you.
She came to Paris to pursue her dedication to painting and find her way as an artist.
"I have been painting since my childhood. Last summer, when I went back home, I discovered paintings made when I was 10... it is on me." But in Georgia, you cannot live as an artist. Or, at least, it is not easy.
She knew she needed to study. She decided to sign up at Architecture, which is, as she says "a sort of in-between area, the closest to art".
Education
“I am very happy to be an architect and be able to expand my knowledge”.
"I am very happy to be an architect and be able to expand my knowledge."
During the years at University, she continued to paint and follow her passion even if it was not easy.
"Slowly, I started getting good feedback on my paintings, little exhibitions, international open calls but the most important was a Swiss collector who bought some of my paintings. We met while I was coordinating a Soviet Architecture Study trip for Swiss architects and could share my artworks during a family lunch in Tbilisi. These kinds of exchanges are signs that help you plan your way."
It was like breathing for her. She could plan a move to Paris after being accepted at The Paris Institute of Political Studies (SciencePo).
"I knew I had to study and I had to work: a master degree in a prestigious University can probably expand my possibilities and create a backup for my future".
Paris’ influence
“I love this. I can do this."
The cultural offers of Paris made the difference. "I was looking at exhibitions, contemporary art scene and thinking: I love this. I can do this!”.
She applied to Beaux-Art de Paris and, because of her previous work in arts, she was accepted directly in the third year (out of the five of the whole programme) and she had the opportunity to immediately start exhibiting her work at the 'diploma' milestone of the Beaux-Art.
"Recently French collectors started being interested and buying my works. It is encouraging as you get the sense that you can live out of his. I know that, for the moment, I need to work in parallel to earn a living and pay the bills of such an expensive city like Paris.”
She loves the atelier in Baux-Art de Paris and she knows it is an important opportunity for her.
"Beaux-Art de Paris is a nice place: everyone is in his own world, but when you need something, you find support, pieces of advice, feedback and even a practical helping hand.".
I have tried to get some insight into the creative process of an artist.
"If I paint, I rarely listen to music. I need silence, and I need to concentrate and find my own rhythm. Music can take you away. I need to be alone."
The access to the atelier
"At a more professional level, you need full dedication. Your mindset should be set on creation for art. It is not something you can do after a 'normal' job or during the weekend. When you become artist, it is constant research, experimentation and dedication."
"I had a privilege for the last 18 Months: during COVID, I could work a lot, without hesitation. I could come here and dedicate much time to painting."
"Here, we have one of the most beautiful ateliers that you can have."
But she knows it is a part of her journey: "In the future, I want to be just an artist and live of my paintings. The last few years taught me that this is not impossible."
Everyone is an artist of some sort and many people desire to be an artist. The reality is only a few choose to live the life of an artist.
Nino has put this objective in perspective and lined up many steps and stages that you need to undertake to live as a painter. She is not yet there, but, so far, everything is in the right direction.
Another ‘story of hope’, which can maybe encourage those who are following a dream, a passion, a goal.
STORIES of HOPE. Simple stories of ordinary people that carry a message of hope, a fragment of future. I have been meeting incredible people, that transmit energy, passion, engagement. I talk to them and try to find their message of hope.
Story#11 - Ali
In and out from Mexico, hoping to get to Austria
Ali, Mexico City
Ali' works in a Café in Mexico City. He served me the last coffee of the day as the place was about to close.
His Mexican colleagues invited him to take care of me, as their English was not good enough.
A refugee from Afghanistan, he arrived in Mexico City from Austria. Here in Mexico lives his girlfriend. But when he landed on 24 September 2020, police didn't let him in and sent him back to Europe with a first flight, just a few hours after he got off from a plane.
"I had my passport and my job-VISA. My girlfriend was waiting for me at the arrival, but, without reason, they told me I was not allowed to stay here".
My girlfriend needed to fly to Amsterdam, my assigned destination, to take me back. She came with a layer to take me back make sure no other problems would arise.
Now all is set. He serves good coffee and pastries in a caffee at 20 minutes walking distance from "Paseo de La Reforma" and the more modern part of the city.
Pan Dulce & cappuccino
But he doesn't see his life in Mexico City, a complicated city to live in.
Work and not die
With 6.000 pesos is hard
"I would love to return to Austria. Salaries are higher, and you can plan some savings. Here, my motto is 'Work and not die': for a rich person, Mexico is the place to live, but you cannot do that much with 6.000 pesos a month (300 USD)."
Good luck, Ali': I hope you will find your way to get back to Austria with your girlfriend and find happiness.
STORIES of HOPE. Simple stories of ordinary people that carry a message of hope, a fragment of future. I have been meeting incredible people, that transmit energy, passion, engagement. I talk to them and try to find their message of hope.