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Umberto Eco: A Library of the World

Play trailer Poster for Umberto Eco: A Library of the World Released Jun 30, 2023 1h 20m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 9 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Umberto Eco's private library was a world in itself: more than 30,000 contemporary books and 1,500 rare and antique volumes. The director had worked with Eco one year before the writer's death on a video project for the Venice Art Biennale in 2015, gaining access to the library. With the help of Eco's family he has now produced a documentary that describes a one-of-a-kind place, but also tries to catch and represent the universal idea of a library as "memory of the world", as Eco himself liked to describe it.
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Umberto Eco: A Library of the World

Critics Reviews

View All (9) Critics Reviews
Nicolas Rapold New York Times Exploring fictional worlds with Eco for a guide remains a diverting and often enlightening pursuit. Jun 29, 2023 Full Review William Repass Slant Magazine The film becomes a timely epistemological rumination on the difference between knowledge and information, the relationship between memory and technology. Rated: 3/4 Jun 25, 2023 Full Review Anne Brodie What She Said Features 500-year-old volumes that look new, older books that look old, ancient drawings, charts, curiosities, magic spells, divination, elaborate jokes, the complete Charlie Brown, one featuring a glass receptacle on the spine holding dog’s testicles. Rated: 4/4 Jul 18, 2023 Full Review Chris Knight Original Cin The contemporary Italian philosopher, medievalist, critic, commentator and reluctant novelist comes to buoyant, engaging life in this look back at the man and his books, through the eyes of family and friends, and in the author’s own words. Rated: A Jul 14, 2023 Full Review Pat Mullen POV Magazine The cinematography by Andrea Zambelli and Andrea Zanoli captures the libraries lovingly. One can practically smell the wonderful mustiness of the old books. Jul 13, 2023 Full Review Zach Lewis In Review Online Although the documentary shies away from a paint-by-numbers talking head format, the filmmaking instincts here are still all-too-familiar. That said, Eco’s words are indeed easy to follow, and his various lectures... are entrancing. Jul 3, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (3) audience reviews
David F This documentary about Umberto Eco focuses a lot on his books, which tended towards the old and eccentric. It gives an overview of the Italian intellectual’s career, features interviews with his family, and lot of interviews with the man himself over the years on all sorts of topics ranging from philosophy to popular culture. It was not comprehensive but like its subject it was intellectually stimulating and ranged over many different topics and themes. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/03/24 Full Review ted c I'm sure I would like it if it was ever available for streaming. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/03/23 Full Review StephenPaul C The greatest 01 hour: and 20 minutes of real library footage!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Umberto Eco: A Library of the World

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Umberto Eco's private library was a world in itself: more than 30,000 contemporary books and 1,500 rare and antique volumes. The director had worked with Eco one year before the writer's death on a video project for the Venice Art Biennale in 2015, gaining access to the library. With the help of Eco's family he has now produced a documentary that describes a one-of-a-kind place, but also tries to catch and represent the universal idea of a library as "memory of the world", as Eco himself liked to describe it.
Director
Davide Ferrario
Producer
Davide Ferrario, Francesca Bocca
Distributor
The Cinema Guild
Production Co
Rossofuoco, Film Commission Torino-Piemonte, RAI Cinema, Ministero della Cultura (MiC)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 30, 2023, Limited
Runtime
1h 20m
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