From the Film Maker

I was initially drawn to Parmigianino’s painting by the gesture of Saint John the Baptist, who guides the viewer towards the infant Christ. My attention then travelled toward Saint Jerome, who is apparently asleep on the ground. I began to construct stories from the entire composition, looking outside the figures’ literal character. I saw the Mary, the infant Christ, the adolescent John the Baptist and the elderly Saint Jerome as a representation of a cycle of birth, life, death and afterlife. From this personal interpretation of the painting I developed the story for my film. Fran is a widower in mourning for his wife Mary. He spends a lot of time on a bench dedicated to her memory, thinking about the time they shared. On his way to replace the dying roses on her bench with a fresh bouquet, Fran falls and is helped back up by a familiar passer-by.

Frank Swan

A piece inspired by Parmigianino, The Madonna and Child with Saints, 1526-7