Spira Mirabilis (2016)★ 6.3/10

IT,CH · 121 min · September 4, 2016

• Documentary

Directed by: Massimo D'Anolfi, Martina Parenti

Written by: Massimo D'Anolfi, Martina Parenti

In an abandoned theater, French actress Marina Vlady recites from Borges' classic short story "The Immortal" - Japanese research scientist Shin Kubota sings praise to Turritopsis dorhnii, the jellyfish capable of incessantly rejuvenating itself - the workers of the 600-year-old association to maintain Milan's Duomo subject the cathedral's exquisite statues to perpetual regeneration - Swiss musician/inventors Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer persistently refine the Hang, their pitch-perfect steel percussion instrument - Native American community leaders Leola One Feather and Moses Brings Plenty preserve the centuries-old spiritual resistance of their Oglala Sioux tribe - Award-winning documentary filmmakers Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti present a mesmerizing tribute to humankind's aspirations for immortality by showing us a portrait of our efforts to overcome (or accept) our own limits. They share their fascinating discoveries in a visual symphony to the power and harmony of nature's elements: water, earth, air and fire. From Milan to Wounded Knee, USA, from Bern to Shirahama, Japan, the traces of the filmmakers' travels spiral wonderfully into a symbol of perfection and infinity: SPIRA MIRABILIS.