Documentary, directed by Manuela Morgaine, France, 2013.
This fresco is a cinema of zig-zags, akin to the branching of lightning bolts. It unfolds its subject across different countries of the world and over the span of several centuries, concurrently presented in both documentary and legendary forms. Spring brings back to life Syméon the stylite, a madman who lived atop his column for 40 years. Simeon was killed in Syria, in the Cham desert near Palmira. But he is also the one who scrutinizes the earth, recounting the true story of Aleppo soap, which is a cauldron brimming with mythology. Additionally, it delves into how lightning generates an aphrodisiac truffle called Kama once a year, in spring – a phenomenon known to exist as the "Vegetable of Allah" in the tales of One Thousand and One Nights. Summer stages, from Marivaux's "La dispute," the love at first sight between two creatures, Azor and Églé, isolated on an island called Sutra. On this paradisiacal island, they consume the Kama, the forbidden fruit, and then, consumed by love, they are banished. Finally branching out, Baal, Saturn, Simeon, the melancholic, and the downtrodden unite with the torn-apart lovers in the night lightning.

Running for almost four hours, this documentary is undoubtedly among the most original ever created, offering a fantastic auditory and visual experience that straddles the line between documentary and legend. For those who seek to rediscover, even symbolically, lost energies, watching this film divided into four parts is a must. One of the rarest and most magnificent cinematic artifacts. A film that truly shakes you to the core and demands introspection after viewing.

LANGUAGE: French
SUBTITLES: English, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese