In 1968 Gibellina, a small town nestled in the Belice valley of western Sicily, was destroyed by an earthquake. Today, it remains silent. Some 11 kilometres from where this town once stood, you will find its replacement, Gibellina Nuova. Designed by some of Italy’s most prominent artists and architects of the time, it is a town unlike any other in the region, resembling more of an open-air museum than a place where people work and live. But in many ways, it is representative of the region itself, a place that prides itself on being different and where people consider themselves Sicilian first, Italian second.
It is here that provides the setting for Azzurro, a film featuring Sicilian-born Carhartt WIP skater Mauro Caruso. The project was first initiated by Mauro in 2010 only to then suffer a series of setbacks that he came to refer to as “the curse of Gibellina.” It was finally completed in March of this year. Shot by Ludo Azémar in a style that evokes the aesthetic of neorealism, Italy’s golden era of cinema, Azzurro effortlessly blends skateboarding, architecture and art.
Concept by Mauro Caruso
Direction and Cinematography by Ludovic Azémar
Music by Ronan Le Floc'h
Featuring: Mauro Caruso, Felipe Bartolomé, Joseph Biais
Photography by Sam Ashley
Click on images to enlarge
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