Il regista / The Director

Antonio Bellia (Catania, 1969) began his filmmaking career in 1996 directing video clips, videos and documentaries that enquire into anti-Mafia operations and social injustice in Sicily (Peppino Impastato: storia di un siciliano libero, Senza
Tempo, Crimini di pace); these award-winning expositions have been screened at major events and festivals. He has also worked as assistant director to Marco Tullio Giordana, Daniele Ciprì, Franco Maresco, and Roberto Faenza. The documentary ‘A pirrera (La miniera) [The Mine] was shown at Cinemamabiente 2006.

“Cities provide space for people to meet. But today’s cities have become a battleground for individuals isolated in their cars and engaged with their cellphones. What strikes me when I see the rare person riding a bike is the personal sense of movement, reminding me how this flow can restore a human dimension to urban streets. The effects of climate change will force us to rethink our relationship with technology and cars and to find ways of doing things more simply, more attuned to a concern for the finely balanced natural systems we depend on. In cities where people use bicycles for getting around, I’ve noted less noise and pollution and more smiling, contented faces.”

Antonio Bellia