Experiencing Interruptions?

THE CANVAS

Art requires concentration, most often solitude. This condition is essential for the painter Salvatore Garau. Yet the artist decides to question himself by taking a large white canvas (2mx5m) and sharing the creation of the work together with the inmates in the high security prison of Massama, Sardinia. He does not intend to teach prisoners how to paint, but to share creative energy with those who are not used to freedom, let alone creative freedom. On the canvas the prisoners can unleash their imagination that leads to wonder, and wonder is power. Power is openness without fear. The documentary "The canvas" follows this challenge, the surprising discoveries, the beginning and the development of a project that shows the power of art and speech, especially in shady and sad places like prison

  • Salvatore Garau
    Director
  • Salvatore Garau
    Writer
  • Salvatore Garau
    Producer
  • Alessandro Bonifazi
    Producer
  • Giuliana Dompé
    Producer
  • Caterina Ponzano
    Producer
  • Simone Niola
    Key Cast
  • Davide Pia
    Key Cast
  • Mauro Porcu
    Key Cast
  • Giovanni Corodda
    Key Cast
  • Marco Palumbo
    Key Cast
  • Carlo Usai
    Key Cast
  • Beatrice Cilla
    Key Cast
  • Adriano Sergi
    Key Cast
  • Manolo Venturino
    Key Cast
  • Salvatore Garau
    Key Cast
  • Fabio Olmi
    photography director
  • Lila Place
    editing
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    LA TELA
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    social, prison, art
  • Runtime:
    56 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    25,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    digital, DCP
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Portugal International Film Festival
    Porto
    Portugal
    April 17, 2019
    Portugal Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival,
    Noida (Delhi NCR)
    India
    April 30, 2019
    India Premiere
    Official Selection, Honorable Jury Mention
  • Bangalore Shorts Filmfest
    Bangalore
    India
    June 10, 2019
    Official Selection, Honorable Jury Mention
  • Buddha International Film Festival
    Pune
    India
    June 9, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Dumbo Film Festival
    Brooklyn, New York
    United States
    July 8, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Brazil International Film Festival
    Teresòpolis, Rio de Janeiro
    Brazil
    August 23, 2019
    Brazil premiere
    Official Selection
  • Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    July 21, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Santiago Independent Film Awards
    Santiago
    Chile
    September 6, 2019
    Chile premiere
    Official Selection
  • Ag & Art Film Festival
    Vacaville
    United States
    September 13, 2019
    California Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Social World Film Festival
    Vico Equense (Napoli)
    Italy
    July 28, 2019
    Italy Premiere
    Semi-Finalist
  • CineX Independent Film festival online monthly Festival

    November 4, 2019
  • Blow-up Arthouse Film Fest
    Chicago
    United States
    November 9, 2019
    Official Selection
  • FRANCE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    Paris
    France
    January 18, 2020
    France Premiere
    Official Selection
  • PARIS LIFT OFF FILM FESTIVAL
    PARIS
    France
    October 25, 2020
    selected
  • TOKIO LIFT OFF FILM FESTIVAL
    TOKIO
    Japan
    May 31, 2020
    Japan premiere
  • LIBERTY AWARD FILM FESTIVAL
    WORLDWIDE ONLINE FESTIVAL
    September 15, 2021
    selected
  • GERMANY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    Berlin
    Germany
    November 18, 2021
    Premiere Germany
    Special Jury Award /Finalist
  • PORTUGAL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    LISBOA
    Portugal
    November 15, 2021
    Award Winner
  • FRANCE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    PARIS
    France
    August 15, 2021
    Award Winner
  • ITALY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    ROME
    Italy
    December 13, 2021
    Special Jury Award
  • CHINA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

    China
    February 19, 2022
    premiere china
    Honorable menntion
  • AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

    Australia
    March 10, 2022
    Premiere Australia
    Honorable mention
  • WORLD CINE FEST
    PORTO
    February 6, 2022
    premiere
    Award Winner
  • MEXICO FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

    March 17, 2022
    Premiere
    Selected
  • GREECE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

    September 10, 2022
    Premiere
    selected
  • ARROW INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    Paris
    France
    September 12, 2022
    Award Winner
  • ASIA FILM FESTIVAL
    MUMBAI
    October 20, 2022
    Premiere
    Best Documentary
  • T.I.F.A. - TIETE INTERNATIONAL FILM AWARDS
    Tietè Sao Paulo
    Brazil
    December 10, 2022
    selected
  • ANDROMEDA FILM FESTIVAL
    ISTANBUL
    Turkey
    AWARD WINNER
  • GOLDEN REEL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    SINGAPORE
    SELECTED
  • VENUS COMMUNITY AWARDS
    ISTANBUL
    Turkey
    award winner
  • DOHA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

    Qatar
    award winner
  • INDIE CINE TUBE AWARDS
    KOLKATA
    India
    indie winner, best documentary
  • IPE AMARELO
    Sao Caetano do Sul (San Paolo)
    Brazil
    Best Photography
  • SAUDI ARABIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    RIYADH
    Saudi Arabia
    Award Winner
  • KALAKARI FILM FEST
    DEWAS
    India
    selected
  • CLOSE FILM FESTIVAL
    TABRIZ
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    Award Winner
  • SWISS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

    Swaziland
    Special Jury Award
  • SNOW LEOPARD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    MADRID
    Spain
    selected
  • PARIS INTERNATIONAL SHORT
    PARIS
    France
    Semi-finalist
  • LONDON INDIE SHORT FESTIVAL
    LONDON
    United Kingdom
    selected
  • FIORENZO FILM FESTIVAL
    SASSARI
    Italy
    BEST DOCUMENTARY (sez. Antonio Mossa)
  • THE GRADIATOR FILM FESTIVAL
    BALAT, ISTANBUL
    Turkey
    Award Winner
  • EUROPE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

    Best Italian Documentary
  • BARCELONA INDIE AWARDS
    BARCELONA
    Spain
    selected
  • HERCULES INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
    SIVIGLIA
    Spain
    Best Editing
  • MONZA FILM FEST
    MONZA
    Italy
    Honorable Mention
  • INDO NEPAL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
    KATMANDU
    Nepal
    Award Winner
  • CANADA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
    TORONTO
    Canada
Director Biography - Salvatore Garau

Salvatore Garau (1953) was born in Sardinia (Italy). In 2021 all over the world there was talk of his "invisible sculptures"
In 1974 he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. Three years later he joined Stormy Six, a European avant-garde rock group.
In 2003 he was present at the Venice Art Biennale. From this moment he holds countless people in important private galleries and museums: Lugano, Basel, Barcelona, London, San Francisco, Washington. In 2011 he is still invited to the Venice Biennale.
His personal exhibitions have been hosted in the museums of Saint-Etienne, Córdoba (Argentina), Milan, Brasilia, San Paolo. In 2017 he directed a medium-length film shot in a High Security prison. In 2019 he made a doc-thriller (25°) Futuri Affreschi Italiani (Future Italian Frescoes)

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Director Statement

My challenge was to stimulate the prisoners involved, to free themselves in front of the canvas, of the clichés and restrictions, trying to bring out concepts that can generate wonder. Generating wonder is power, power is innovation, power is openness without fear, it is discovering that with art we can go far beyond the limits that seemed impassable. It is up to the artist to suggest that beyond the white of that large canvas, there is the possibility of renewing and spreading beyond the narrow boundaries that, unconsciously, many unconsciously (and certainly not only the inmates) place themselves.