Two Headed Mountain (2022)

The Matterhorn is among the highest mountains in the Alps. It stands isolated from the rest of the surrounding peaks and overlooks Breuil-Cervinia village in Italy and Zermatt in Switzerland, two well-known tourist destinations. The cities, divided by the mountains, have always been connected by winter sports enthusiasts and professionals. In 2020, however, the Covid-19 pandemic broke the balance. In Switzerland, the new rules of access to the facilities have not prevented people from experiencing the mountains. In Italy, on the other hand, the total closure has annulled tourism, causing a loss of about 7 million euros in turnover, according to Cervino Spa. "Two Headed Mountain" is a story of a new paradoxical normalcy, simultaneously symbolizing a human condition of inner conflict, which in times of difficulty shows itself more clearly. The split-screen and stereo sound highlight this paradox. In the Swiss part, tourists adapt to new behaviors with daily habits: they shop, ski, take selfies. Face masks become ordinary, as do the incessant warnings blaring from the speakers. In the Italian part, instead, deprived of the human element, the pylons, the Christmas lights, and the ski lifts become natural objects; snowcats, iron giants lost in time, redesign the slopes every day, working for months for no one, with a wandering melancholy.