Licheni - Alessandra Celesia

Licheni is a "live documentary", where the projected images narrate the journey of the author and performer, accompanied on stage by two musicians and, on video, by other women whose stories and destinies intertwine—fragile yet resilient. It is an emotiography of melting glaciers, leading to an exploration of our most intimate anxieties through mountains, roots, distance… and those lichens that keep climbing. Lichens are like human beings: strong and incredibly fragile at the same time, in a constant search for balance. They keep climbing higher and higher, heading toward the peaks in search of coolness, undertaking a journey essential to their survival. But where do lichens go when they climb? The legends of the Alps come to our aid in trying to understand the unfathomable; Alpine mythology leads us to those highlands where man ought to tread lightly like a guest—yet behaves like a ruined master.

by Alessandra Celesia writing collaboration: Marco Bosonetto with: Alessandra Celesia music: Stefano Risso performed by: Stefano Risso (double bass and electronic music) and Christian Thoma (oboe and bass clarinet) lighting: Rocco Andreacchio video editing: Francesco Rey scientific consultancy: Deborah Isocrono, Italian Lichenological Society

Alessandra Celesia is an Italian filmmaker, performer, and writer. Her work blends documentary, theatre, and poetry, exploring personal and collective memory. Based in Paris, she creates hybrid performances. Her last film The Flats won the Top Awards at CPH:DOX in 2024.