Synopsis
Italo Svevo was almost entirely ignored as a writer during his lifetime, both by literary circles and the public. It was only with his third novel, Zeno's Conscience, which portrays a neurotic liar undergoing psychoanalytic treatment, that he achieved success.
The modernity of his work fascinated his friend James Joyce, who introduced him to the Parisian literary scene of the 1920s. Psychoanalysis, the banality of everyday life, irony, as well as the use of the stream-of-consciousness technique, were concepts that readers of his time were not yet ready for.
Italo Svevo anticipated many themes of modernity. It is not surprising that his contemporaries did not understand him.
The documentary paints a portrait of the author's complex personality and his characters, set against the captivating atmosphere of his hometown, Trieste.
The film is available in 61- and 52-minute versions.
