From the film-maker:

Rosa has painted himself with his head tilted to the side putting one side of his face in shadow. He also holds a sign in Latin saying, ‘Be silent, unless what you have to say is better than silence’, which reflects his personal stoic philosophy. The painting made me consider the way we create a personality for ourselves based around ideas we wish to embrace, yet this image will not be our true self, merely a constructed persona. My film is about a man who lives a life he feels he is supposed to live until his Shadow, or other self, tries to break away from him. The man believes the Shadow is reflection of his flaws, yet comes to see it was his dedication to the ‘persona’ that was his only real flaw.

Joanna Bence

A piece inspired by Salvatore Rosa, Self Portrait,about 1645