hagiographic film | Martyria

Ars Christiana No. I (XIX) / 2025 The phenomenon of the TV series ‘Saint Paisios – From Farasa to Heaven’ is more than just a cinematic experience! [Part I] Elena Dulgheru

The Greek television series Saint Paisios – From Farasa to Heaven, broadcast in February 2022 on Mega TV and Alpha TV Cyprus, is analysed as a pan-Orthodox social and cultural phenomenon, within the context of Balkan and international hagiographic cinema. The study examines the literary and documentary popularisation of the life of the Venerable Paisios of Mount Athos, the challenges of adapting a hagiographic biography for the general public, and the artistic limitations of the series in relation to both the religious and the wider audience.

Ars Christiana No. II (XVIII) / 2024 “Quo Vadis”: a festival to transform Romania Elena Dulgheru

The first edition of the Quo Vadis International Film Festival, held in Iași from 7 to 10 November 2024 under the auspices of the Doxologia Missionary Cultural Centre, brought recent Christian Orthodox films from Serbia, Greece, the USA and Romania, bringing together directors, actors and film enthusiasts on a platform for cultural and spiritual dialogue centred on the theme of freedom.

Ars Christiana No. I (XVII) / 2024 A film like a lament: ‘Ecce Homo Brâncoveanu’ Elena Dulgheru

Dan Pița’s film Ecce Homo Brâncoveanu (2024) re-enacts the martyrdom of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu and his family, drawing on a Christian lament and a historical parable, with Dorel Vișan in the role of the steward Cantacuzino. The review highlights a low-budget film with laudable iconic ambitions, but one marred by modest set design, uneven acting and insufficient resources.