The premiere screening of director Pupi Avati’s new docufilm, “Un Natale a casa Croce” (Christmas at Croce’s House) (2024), dedicated to the figure of Benedetto Croce, took place in France with great public participation.
The event, organised by the Italian Cultural Institute in Paris, opened with a video-message by Pupi Avati, who, although unable to be present, wished to greet the Paris audience.
The testimony of Benedetta Craveri, Benedetto Croce’s granddaughter and President of the Croce Foundation, was valuable, offering a personal account of the philosopher’s life and the Foundation’s role in preserving and disseminating his thought.
The docufilm retraces Croce’s life, marked by family tragedies, passion for philosophy, and intellectual rivalries. The film highlights his vocation for freedom and his fight against fascism, touching on universal themes such as violence, loneliness and the power of culture. Avati’s work was able to recount these aspects in a captivating way, with a narrative oscillating between lightness and depth.
The event was attended by many guests, including the Italian Ambassador to Paris, Emanuela D’Alessandro; French Ambassador Benoit d’Aboville; writer Claude Arnaud; publisher Lidia Breda; economist Jean Claude Casanova, and historian Dario Mantovani.
