The event that will bring to Gorizia La Milanesiana, the famous cultural event conceived and directed by Elisabetta Sgarbi, on the occasion of GO! 2025, Nova Gorica Gorizia European Capital of Culture, is dedicated to The Intelligence of Borders.

On Wednesday 16 July at the Verdi Theatre (9 pm), an evening with protagonists of great international relevance: the writer Claudio Magris, Premio Strega 1997, icon of frontier literature, will introduce the meeting with the reading of one of his unpublished reflections, followed by a dialogue between the director Aleksandr Sokurov, Master of Russian cinema, Golden Lion at the 2011 Venice Film Festival, and Aliona Shumakova, professor and film critic, translator of the filmmaker's writings.

An event designed around the suggestions of the border, the driving force behind the European Capital of Cross-border Culture, co-organised by EGTC GO and the Municipality of Gorizia with the support of Civibank.

The evening in Gorizia will open with a moment of deep emotion and a special gift for the audience: Claudio Magris will read an unpublished text closely tied to the theme of the event, The Intelligence of Borders. Immediately after, Aleksandr Sokurov will engage in conversation with Aliona Shumakova, film scholar, critic, and long-time translator of the Russian director’s writings. Their dialogue will guide the audience into the poetic and visionary world of Sokurov’s cinema.

The evening will continue with the screening of two restored films: Zhertva vechernjaja / Evening Sacrifice (1988) and Elegiya dorogi / Elegy of a Journey (2001). These works encapsulate the elegiac and visionary essence of Sokurov’s cinematic language, exploring themes such as pain, memory, and the sacred — reaffirming the originality of his artistic perspective. Also taking part in the evening will be Elisabetta Sgarbi, director of La Milanesiana, who in 2024 was awarded the Amidei Prize for Film Culture, right here in Gorizia.

Programme:

Institutional greetings
City of Gorizia, European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation EGTC GO

Reading
Claudio Magris (Strega Prize winner, 1997)

Conversation
Aleksandr Sokurov (Golden Lion, Venice 2011)
in dialogue with Aliona Shumakova

Showing:

• Zhertva vechernjaja / Evening Sacrifice (1988, 20’) – Restored version

• Elegiya dorogi / Elegy of a Journey (2001, 48’)
  by Aleksandr Sokurov

The event will be held in Italian with simultaneous translation into Slovenian.

Free entrance with reservation on www.eventbrite.it