Purgatory Archives - Page 2 of 16

Purgatorio: A Journey Into the Heart of the Border Film, dir. Rodrigo Reyes (2013)

January 12, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“Reyes’ provocative essay film re-imagines the Mexico/U.S. border as a mythical place comparable to Dante’s purgatory. Leaving politics aside, he takes a fresh look at the brutal beauty of the border and the people caught in its spell. By capturing a stunning mosaic of compelling characters and broken landscapes that live on the US/Mexico border, the filmmaker reflects on the flaws of human nature and the powerful absurdities of the modern world. An unusual border film, in the auteur tradition of camerastylo, Purgatorio ultimately becomes a fable of humanity, an epic and visceral experience with powerful and lingering images.” –description on Kino Lorber (retrieved January 12, 2022)

Watch a trailer for Purgatorio on Vimeo here.

Original Sin – The Seven Sins Short Film, dir. Amy Tinkham (2021)

January 8, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“Original Sin is a modern-day love story about a broken-hearted heroine and her journey through the seven sins and the quest towards the virtue of Hope. The music of the legendary global rock band INXS seamlessly accompanies the film, and ultimately, the young heroine finds true love while the world heals with her.

“The film is loosely based on and inspired by celebrated Italian writer Dante Alighieri’s Inferno and the spiritual journey through the Seven Sins of Purgatory — pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. The Original Sin short film reimagines Dante’s tale through the eyes of Jane, a 21st-century heroine isolated during the recent pandemic, who continues to search for love and the means to validate her soul.” [. . .] –UMe, Cision PR Newswire, June 28, 2021 (retrieved January 6, 2022)

Watch a trailer (which includes direct quotes from the first canto of Inferno) for Original Sin here.

Listen to the short film’s Dante-inspired soundtrack here.

Dante Traveling Exhibition, Athens (2021)

November 21, 2021 By Sephora Affa, FSU '24

“Athens is the second European city after Belgrade to host the show, titled ‘Dante Ipermoderno– Dante illustrated in the world, 1983-2021.’ After the Greek capital, the exhibition will travel to Prague, Moscow, London, and Madrid.

“Five internationally known illustrators took it upon themselves to depict the shocking images described by Dante in his monumental work The Divine Comedy: Paolo Barbieri, Monica Baisner, Domenico Palantino, Tom Phillips, and Emiliano Ponzi.” [. . .] —Ekathimerini, January 6, 2021

See more information about the art exhibit here.

Relatedly, see our posts about Paolo Barbieri here and Tom Phillips here.

Purgatory Poetry Collection, Raúl Zurita Canessa (1979)

November 10, 2021 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“Raúl Zurita Canessa (b.1950) is a prominent Chilean poet whose work Purgatory is the first of three works based on the poetry of Dante (the other two being Anteparadise [1982], and The New Life [1994]). The late poet C.D. Wright provided the foreword to this English translation from Spanish published by the University of California Press. Wright wrote, ‘Purgatorio is arguably the seminal literary text of Chile’s 9/11/1973, the date of the U.S.-backed military coup led by Augusto Pinochet which overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende. With his first published collection, the young Chilean poet began his Dantean trilogy, his long, arduous pilgrimage toward earthly redemption.'” –Contributor Devin Shepherd

Contributed by Devin Shepherd (University of Arkansas, ’22)

Purgatory Resort Ski Lodge in Durango, Colorado

November 10, 2021 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“Purgatory Resort is located in Durango, CO. It is a ski lodge that is themed around Dante and his Divine Comedy. There are different ski routes and terrain parks named based on difficulty related to hell. For example, there is a route named Limbo and one named Pandemonium. Limbo is a difficult route, but Pandemonium is one the most difficult routes. There is also a called Divinity, which is one of the lightest routes. The most interesting part of Purgatory Resort is its self-pace coaster. It is called the Inferno Mountain Coaster. It is known for the beautiful views it provides and the quick descents. It is a self-pace coaster, so you are able to descend through the Inferno as quickly or as slowly as you would like.” –Contributor Honey Okuneye

See our previous post about the ski lodge in Durango – one of our first on Dante Today – here.

See also the Purgatory trail map (which includes multiple references to Dante) here.

Contributed by Honey Okuneye (University of Arkansas, ’24)

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