An evening dedicated to one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Italian mountaineering: Walter Bonatti.
The documentary Walter Bonatti in Bardonecchia will be presented, recounting Bonatti's time in the Alpine town through historical materials, testimonies, photographs and period footage.
Already internationally renowned for his mountaineering exploits and for his participation in the historic Italian expedition to K2 in 1954, Walter Bonatti was called upon in early 1955 by the Municipality of Bardonecchia to work as a mountain guide and ski instructor. At that time, fresh from both great successes and important personal vicissitudes linked to the mountains, he was welcomed by the local community, which granted him honorary citizenship on 24 August 1955. He remained attached to the area for two years, a period that the documentary explores with rigour and humanity, highlighting the relationship between the protagonist and the Bardonecchia community.
Walter Bonatti in Bardonecchia is a documentary film that combines film footage from the period, archive images and testimonies to give the audience an intimate and historical overview of this chapter of his life, emphasising the importance of the bond between the mountaineer and the mountain region that welcomed him.
The evening will be introduced by director Riccardo Topazio, who will guide the audience through the stories and images that make up the film, offering a narrative and cultural context that enriches the cinematic experience and invites reflection on the role of memory, Alpine identity and community in mountain stories.
Piazza Martiri della Libertà 13, Condove