After a car accident leaves Professor Benet trapped in his car, his student Leo begins recounting the life of Milarepa, one of Tibet’s most famous poets and mystics. In the 11th-century Himalayas, under the guidance of his teacher Marpa, Milarepa studied both black and white magic, along with the secrets of transfiguration that allowed him to transcend the physical world. Premiered at Cannes, the film explores Cavani’s fascination with the pursuit of wisdom and power – an impulse that resonates across both Western and Eastern cultures.
Born in Carpi, Italy, in 1933, Liliana Cavani is one of the most celebrated Italian filmmakers of the 20th century. After studying classical literature, she trained in directing at Rome’s Experimental Center of Cinematography. She began her career in the 1960s with bold political documentaries for television, before moving into feature films that established her reputation as a daring and uncompromising voice. Cavani’s cinema is intellectual and provocative, probing questions of history, morality, power, and the psychology of politics, often inspired by literature. In 2023, the Venice International Film Festival honored her with its Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
After a car accident leaves Professor Benet trapped in his car, his student Leo begins recounting the life of Milarepa, one of Tibet’s most famous poets and mystics. In the 11th-century Himalayas, under the guidance of his teacher Marpa, Milarepa studied both black and white magic, along with the secrets of transfiguration that allowed him to transcend the physical world. Premiered at Cannes, the film explores Cavani’s fascination with the pursuit of wisdom and power – an impulse that resonates across both Western and Eastern cultures.
Born in Carpi, Italy, in 1933, Liliana Cavani is one of the most celebrated Italian filmmakers of the 20th century. After studying classical literature, she trained in directing at Rome’s Experimental Center of Cinematography. She began her career in the 1960s with bold political documentaries for television, before moving into feature films that established her reputation as a daring and uncompromising voice. Cavani’s cinema is intellectual and provocative, probing questions of history, morality, power, and the psychology of politics, often inspired by literature. In 2023, the Venice International Film Festival honored her with its Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
Born in Carpi, Italy, in 1933, Liliana Cavani is one of the most celebrated Italian filmmakers of the 20th century. After studying classical literature, she trained in directing at Rome’s Experimental Center of Cinematography. She began her career in the 1960s with bold political documentaries for television, before moving into feature films that established her reputation as a daring and uncompromising voice. Cavani’s cinema is intellectual and provocative, probing questions of history, morality, power, and the psychology of politics, often inspired by literature. In 2023, the Venice International Film Festival honored her with its Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.