''Clare and Francis'' () is a 2007 Italian television film directed by

Fabrizio Costa Fabrizio Costa (born May 31, 1957, in Trieste) is an Italian film director. Costa started his career as an assistant director to Pasquale Festa Campanile. In 1981, he made his directorial debut with, ''Venezia Danza Europa 81''. Filmography ...

. The film deals with the friendship and the spiritual journey of

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italians, Italian Mysticism, mystic, poet and Friar, Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Chris ...

and

Clare of Assisi Chiara Offreduccio (16 July 1194 – 11 August 1253), known as Clare of Assisi (sometimes spelled ''Clara'', ''Clair'' or ''Claire''; ), is an Italians, Italian saint who was one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. Inspired by the te ...

Plot

Cast

* Ettore Bassi as

* Maria Palma Petruolo as

* Gabriele Cirilli as Illuminatus *

Lando Buzzanca Gerlando "Lando" Buzzanca (24 August 1935 – 18 December 2022) was an Italian stage, film, and television actor whose career spanned 65 years. Life and career Early years Born in Palermo the son of a cinema projectionist, at 16 years old Buzz ...

as Pietro di Bernardone *

Ángela Molina Ángela Molina Tejedor (born 5 October 1955) is a Spanish actress. Aside from her performances in Spanish films, she has starred in multiple international productions, particularly in a number of Italian films and television series. Family Mol ...

as Pica * Antonella Fattori as Ortolana * Luca Biagini as Cardinal

Pelagio Pelagio is a masculine given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given names * Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Dávalos (1816–1891), Mexican Roman Catholic prelate * Pelagio Cruz (1912–1986), chief-of-staff of the Philipp ...

* Fabrizio Bucci as

Bernard Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''be ...

* Ignazio Oliva as

Elias Elias ( ; ) is the hellenized version for the name of Elijah (; ; , or ), a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several holy books. Due to Elias' role in the scriptures and to many later associated tradit ...

* Diego Casale as Giles *

Ivano Marescotti Ivano Marescotti (4 February 1946 – 26 March 2023) was an Italian actor and theatre director. Life and career Born in Villanova di Bagnacavallo, province of Ravenna, Marescotti worked as a clerk in the urban sector of the Councillorship of ...

as Monaldo *

Ivan Franek Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was the Bu ...

as Federico *

Vincent Riotta Vincenzo Ricotta (born 14 October 1959), professionally known as Vincent Riotta, is a British actor. Career Riotta studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He went on to perform in various stage plays, such as William Shakespeare, Shakesp ...

as Favarone *

Roberto Nobile Roberto Nobile (11 November 1947 – 30 July 2022) was an Italian actor. Selected filmography References External links * 1947 births 2022 deaths Italian male film actors Male actors from Verona Italian male television actors ...

as Bishop Guido *

Luigi Diberti Luigi Diberti (born 29 September 1939) is an Italian actor and dubber. After graduating from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome, he first appeared in small theater roles before having his breakout in 1968 with Luca Ronconi's ''L'Orl ...

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...

Production

The film was shot between

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Gubbio Gubbio () is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria). It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennine Mountains, Apennines. History Prehistory The ol ...

and

Bevagna Bevagna is a town and ''comune'' in the central part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria), in the flood plain of the Topino river. Bevagna is south-east of Perugia, west of Foligno, north-north-west of Montefalco, south of Assisi ...

Reception

Corriere della Sera (; ) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average circulation of 246,278 copies in May 2023. First published on 5 March 1876, is one of Italy's oldest newspapers and is Italy's most read newspaper. Its masthead has remain ...

'' television critic Aldo Grasso criticised the film for its lack of spiritual elements. When asked for their opinion, the conventual friars of the

Sacro Convento The Sacro Convento is a Franciscan friary in Assisi, Umbria, Italy. The friary is connected as part of three buildings to the upper and lower church of the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi, which contains the body of Saint Francis. St. Franc ...

Assisi Assisi (, also ; ; from ; Central Italian: ''Ascesi'') is a town and comune of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Prope ...

had mixed views, praising its historical rigour, lack of rhetorics and acting performances, but finding some inadequacy in representing the theological and human depth of Francis.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2007 television films Italian drama television films 2007 biographical drama films 2007 films Films set in the 13th century Films set in Italy Italian biographical drama films Films about Catholic priests 2000s Italian films RAI original programming Cultural depictions of Francis of Assisi