Pico Sacro [The Holy Mountain]

"Study the Earth and the Stars in the sky; anywhere in the world reflects an image of it. You must keep this arrow for a hundred years and a day. After this time, stick it in the widest valley of all those you possess, with the tip facing the sky. Then the Moon will come and, just as it exerts its action on the waters of the sea, it will act on the arrow, turning it into a holy mountain." - Legend about the Pico Sacro

Inspired by Hokusai's views of Mount Fuji and Cézanne's paintings of Mont Sainte-Victoire, "Pico Sacro [The Holy Mountain]" aims to reveal the mystery and the magic that underlie reality.

  • Alberto Lobelle
    Director
  • Alberto Lobelle
    Producer
  • Roi Carballido
    Producer
  • Pedro Acevedo
    Music
  • Oskar Lopez
    Sound
  • Alberto Lobelle
    Sound
  • Leticia T. Blanco
    Image post-production
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Pico Sacro
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 19 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 2, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Spain
  • Country of Filming:
    Spain
  • Language:
    Galician, No Dialogue
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital - 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Alberto Lobelle

Born in Galicia (Spain) in 1976, Alberto Lobelle works on television series, commercials and films.
As a filmmaker he directed, photographed and produced 'Matisse is spelt with two S’s' (2011), screened at Aljazeera International Documentary Film Festival, Documenta Madrid and other film festivals. 'Den Pobedy: Victory Day' (2015), a found-footage documentary about history, war and family was screened at FIDMarseille. 'Landscapes of A Capelada' (2017) had its premiere at DocumentaMadrid, where it was awarded with the Best Cinematography Prize.

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Director Statement

“If nothing else, the current time crisis is connected with the absolutization of the vita active. It leads to a work imperative which reduces people to beasts of burden (animal laborans). Everyday hyperactivity depletes people's lives of all ability to linger and be contemplative. This renders a fulfilling experience of time impossible. Revitalization of the vita contemplativa and relearning of the art of lingering are essential to overcoming the current time crisis.”
Byung-Chul Han, The Scent of Time

The original concept for this film came to my mind five years ago, while hiking in the mountain with my family. We were reaching the end of the track, when all of a sudden, we came across a wondrous mountain. We were shocked in awe and at that very exact moment I realized that I could spend hours staring that hypnotic view. With my daughter still piggybacking on me, I shot a take with my mobile phone and I remember saying that perhaps a mountain could have the lead role in my next project. Time passed and the idea was still deeply rooted in my mind. Eventually, I decided to make the movie come to life. During the preparation process of this project, I read all the information I could find about the Pico Sacro, the holy mountain this movie focuses on, while the “holy” mountains of Hokusai and Cézanne served also as a great inspiration.
Several years of hard but pleasant work later, and with the assistance of my usual collaborators, I am thrilled to announce that our film "Pico Sacro [The Holy Mountain]" is ready, with the intention of unveiling the mysticism and enchantment that reside in the world.