Les avatars de la mort d’Empédocle 2010
Captured on the volcanic slopes of Sicily during the scorching summer of 1986, *Les avatars de la mort d'Empédocle (2010)* offers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of a legendary film.
Director: Jean-Paul Toraille
Cast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Les avatars de la mort d'Empédocle (2010) about?
This documentary revisits lost 1986 footage from the shoot of *Der Tod des Empedokles*, capturing silent moments of rehearsal and creation on the slopes of Mount Etna. Edited decades later with Jean-Marie Straub, it transforms raw footage into a meditative portrait of art's fragile persistence.
Who directed Les avatars de la mort d'Empédocle?
Jean-Paul Toraille helmed the project, shaping archival material into a poetic reflection on filmmaking and time.
Who stars in Les avatars de la mort d'Empédocle?
The cast includes Jean-Marie Straub, Vladimir Baratta, William Berger, Martina Baratta, and Renato Berta, with cinematography by Louis Hochet.
Is Les avatars de la mort d'Empédocle (2010) worth watching?
For fans of Straub-Huillet's rigor or lovers of cinema as an archive of human presence, this 53-minute documentary offers a hypnotic, atmospheric experience. Its unpolished beauty rewards patient viewers seeking a quiet cinematic revelation.
How long is Les avatars de la mort d'Empédocle?
The runtime is 53 minutes.
About Les avatars de la mort d'Empédocle (2010) — Discover the hidden footage behind a Straub-Huillet classic
Captured on the volcanic slopes of Sicily during the scorching summer of 1986, *Les avatars de la mort d'Empédocle (2010)* offers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of a legendary film. Directed by Jean-Paul Toraille, this documentary assembles once-lost footage from the set of *Der Tod des Empedokles*, originally shot by Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet. Using early video technology, Toraille preserved fleeting moments of raw creativity and collaboration between master filmmaker Straub and his team.
Two decades later, Straub returned to shape this archival material into a reflective meditation on art, time, and endurance. The film pulses with the heat and stillness of Etna's foothills, where every frame hums with the weight of creative legacy. Through candid shots of actors rehearsing and technicians at work, *Les avatars de la mort d'Empédocle* transcends being a mere making-of—it becomes a haunting dialogue between past and present.