Chiara Ambrosio's 'Neapolitan Cult of the Dead' at Morbid Anatomy

Chiara Ambrosio at Morbid Anatomy

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

By Lucian

Recently we attended an event at Morbid Anatomy entitled The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead, an illustrated lecture by filmmaker/ animator Chiara Ambrosio with music accompaniment by Bird Radio.

In the past we have visited the topic in various articles, such as "Enigmatic Traditions" and "Parentalia," so we were eager to hear what the speaker had to say. Ms. Ambrosio was very interesting to talk to before the lecture even began. She was born in Southern Italy, but now lives in London. Passionate about her work in film, she explained that her ancestors were from Naples and Calabria and the lecture was part of her own cultural heritage.

After introducing herself the lecture began with the audience viewing photos with music. She did her best to recreate the tone and emotional atmosphere of Naples and the spiritual practices of its people and did well; but as she said, the best way to experience it is to actually go there. The images were both engaging and disturbing, not because of the tombs or the skulls of the dead underground, but because of the condition of the city of Naples in the land of the living. The images were real and held nothing back, it was beautiful and dirty, full of life but poor, a landscape of contradiction. However, even the ravages of time, poverty and brutal politics could not completely cover the majesty that Naples once was. The bones of the city’s past showed through as clearly as the polished bones of the dead underneath it.

Between the images she spoke about the city of Naples, the practices of its people and the spiritual aspects of the Cult of the Dead. Her narrative felt like poetry. She spoke of the seeming paradoxes in their spiritualism, a sense of the ancient, and their respect and reverence for their ancestors, who they believed were now in purgatory. By adopting the bones, caring for them and praying for their owner’s souls they hoped to help those souls reach Heaven, and in return the dead would help the living and their families. She also talked about Vesuvius. Living in the volcano’s shadow is living in the shadow of death, and yet the fertile soil brings life and livelihood. It gave us a lot to think about.

Afterward there was a question and answer period, and Chiara Ambrosio proved very knowledgeable not only about her chosen topic, but about the history and issues of Southern Italy in general. It was impressive. We spoke again after the questions were over. I was grateful for the opportunity to have met her, and I look forward to seeing her films. She is currently working on a documentary about the religious festivals of Verbicaro, Calabria and how they include both Pagan and Christian aspects.