Francis of Assisi

Cavani made her first fulllength feature film in 1966 with Francis of Assisi Francesco dAssisi Made for television and aired in two parts it was deeply influenced by the style of Rossellini and the atmosphere typical of the films of Pasolini Made in a period of political unrest it was to become a kind of manifesto of dissenting Catholicism Starring Lou Castel it portrays Francis of Assisi as a slightly depressed protestor and an avid albeit mad supporter of armed brotherhood The ideal defender of the 1968 student movement The film was a great success but also triggered many negative reactions It was called heretical blasphemous and offensive for the faith of the Italian people It was the first of many polemical reactions to Cavanis work