SCan you decide to live without ever having to put on shoes again? He did it Gianfranco Bonaldowhich went down in local history and legend as “Gianfry”, who at the end of the nineties chose to take off his shoes and be with it too every social superstructure and embrace nature among the rocks of Val Grande.
His incredible story has become a docu-film made by Carlo Prevosti and Alberto Maroni Biroldi and is called “The Barefoot Valley”. Premiered to critical and popular acclaim at 74. Trento Film Festival, now arrives in Italian cinemas.
Gianfry and life in “The Barefoot Valley”
This documentary follows Gianfranco Bonaldo in his extreme choicenot only by observing it externally, but by trying to understand its deeper reasons; from his rejection of a difficult past to total reconciliation with the natural world.
Using extraordinary and previously unseen materials, the film allows the viewer to immerse yourself in Gianfry’s daily life: we see him laughing in the snow, moving with agility along the paths and inhabiting the most remote mountain pastures with a dignity that challenges the very concept of solitude.
The approach chosen by directors Carlo Prevosti and Alberto Maroni Biroldi comes precisely from the power of these tracks. The intent – they explain – was in fact “accompany his gaze and try to understand how far a human being can go in an attempt to regain his freedom. He dreamed of making his own film, the wildest one imaginable. The Barefoot Valley was born from this desire. His direct and unmediated relationship with the nature of Val Grande is manifested in the subjective shots: bare feet in the snow, the rhythm of the seasons, the profound silence of a valley far from the noise of the world”.
The narrative is enriched by testimonies of those who shared a piece of the journey with hima night in a bivouac or a simple glance, conveying the complexity of a man who, despite living on the margins, left a very profound spiritual legacy. His death, which occurred in 2015 due to a mocking and tragic accident, does not put an end to his journey, but seals its coherence.
Produced by Effendemfilm in collaboration with Insolito Cinemawith the support of MiC General Directorate of Cinema and Audiovisual and Film Commission Torino Piemonte – Piemonte Doc Film Fund, “La Valle scalza” is an invitation to look at the world defenselessly, barefoot on the earth, to rediscover what remains authentic when you strip away everything else. The documentary is distributed by Lab 80 film. The project was selected at Front Lab – Front Doc Aosta and Visioni Incontra – Visioni dal mondo Milano.
Where to see “The Barefoot Valley”
The film will stop on May 19th at the San Tommaso Auditorium in Paviaand then arrive on the 2nd0 May at the Beltrade Cinema in Milan and the next day to Bergamoat Lo Schermo Bianco in collaboration with the Italian Alpine Club – Bergamo Section and Laboratorio 80 as part of the Il Grande Sentiero off-road exhibition.
On May 24th it will be the turn of Cinema Esedra in Turin, in an event that will also see the participation of the Torino Piemonte Film Commission.
On June 12th the film will continue its journey at the Cinema Teatro Nuovo in Vareseto then fit into a wider circulation in Piedmont within the Movie Tellers review, historic initiative curated by Piemonte Movie.
An ongoing itinerary, made up of meetings and shared visions, which will continue to be enriched with new stages in the following months.
iO Donna © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
