LA PATTUGLIA DI PASSO SAN GIACOMO
THE PASSO SAN GIACOMO PATROL
Italia / 1954 / 13 min / Colour
On the snow-covered slopes of Passo San Giacomo, in the high Val Formazza, an improperly felled tree has cut the high-tension cables. From the power plant, the technicians set off on skis to check out the problem and the repair squad departs at a mule’s pace on foot. They must transport the equipment needed to repair the damage and to work suspended above the blinding glare of the snow. Shot by Olmi for Edisonfilm, for whom he was working at the time, this documentary highlights the speed of the Edison technicians’response, even under the most difficult conditions.
Ermanno Olmi
Honoured in Venice with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2008, Olmi was born in Bergamo in 1931. He is amongst the most prolific filmmakers on the Italian scene. Particularly tied to the memories of a childhood in the countryside, he has told of its most intimate aspects, favouring the sentiments of the simple life and the poetic beauty of Nature.
Credits
Cinematography Ermanno OlmiEditing Ermanno OlmiMusic Pier Emilio BassiProducer EDISONVOLTAProduction company EDISONVOLTA