In the heart of Rome, facing St Peter’s Basilica, stands Il Palazzo. Like a renaissance patron, its owner offered shelter to an eclectic and sui generis group of friends, turning Il Palazzo into an art commune that at times acted as an incubator of creativity, dreams and poems. At other times, though, it served as a trap, a perfect excuse for avoidance and procrastination, while everything revolved around a charismatic Pygmalion figure: Mauro. 

Filmmaker Federica Di Giacomo was herself an occasional member of this community, and was invited back by the older tenants who came together after Mauro’s sudden passing. At times melancholic, at times humorous, Il Palazzo is a portrait of the man and of the artist reconstructed through the stories of those who knew him, together with snatches from the original archive of the visionary project that would consume his life: an unfinished project that now serves as a mirror reflecting images from the past.

This screening is a UK Premiere and is followed by Q&A with director Federica Di Giacomo, hosted by the ICA's Head of Cinema, Nico Marzano.

The screening is supported by the Italian Cultural Institute London.

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