Films by Lucio Pontoni

Germany, Italy 2021, 52 min
by Alessandro Soetje

Terrible mountains is what Leonardo da Vinci called the peaks that surround the Valtellina. They take the leading role in this story, which is rendered with the help of spectacular film footage and the stories of local inhabitants.With its dry stone walls – a masterpiece that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO – Valtellina is a land of traditions, contrasts and breathtaking landscapes. From the Stelvio National Park, with its imposing Forni glacier, to the peat bog of Pian Gembro, and from the mysterious crotti of Chiavenna to the terraced vineyards on the Rhaetian slope.In an attentive and intimate way, the film takes the audience on a journey along the river Adda that crosses the entire valley. It begins in winter until the following autumn according to the infinite cycle of nature, which is a stern but honest friend of the people living in this land located in the far north of Italy.

Germany, Italy 2014, 72 min
by Alessandro Melazzini

A documentary film that uses high production values to showcase an extraordinary place in the heart of Europe: The Stelvio Pass. Here, at 3,000 meters above sea-level in the middle of the Italian Alps, one finds an imposing natural treasure where the present meets the past and the visitor discovers a breath-taking landscape and mountain sports experience. But people once battled here not just for sporting reasons: 100 years ago the Stelvio Pass was the highest and coldest battlefield of WWI. Objects from that cruel war are still found in the snow by people like Mario, who collects war remains in his spare time. Through Mario’s story and other characters this documentary film enables us to discover the unexpected power and magic of a fascinating alpine microcosm.