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Director: Christopher Di Nunzio

Genre: Docmentary

Year: 2010

Rating: NR

Since 1914 The Saint Agrippina Benefit Society have been hosting an annual feast in honor of the martyred Saint, a tradition which originated in Mineo, Sicily. Society Members tell the tales of Saint Agrippina's short and tragic life. The film avoids pushing any religious views and instead focuses on the members and how she has inspired them all in one way or another.

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"Viva! Saint Agrippina" is a documentary by filmmaker, Christopher Di Nunzio. This is a completely different kind of film from his last which was a horror film but Christopher has done a fantastic job capturing this event from the pre-planning all the way through the three day festival. It is amazing to see the amount of work involved in putting this festival together every year, in fact while this year's celebration was going on they were already planning out the following year's events. This is devotion like I have never seen before. In case you don't know who Agrippina was She is believed to have been a maiden of high degree, who was beheaded or scourged to death in Rome during the reign of Valerian or in the persecution of Diocletian. Three women, Bassa, Paula, and Agathonice, afterwards conveyed her body to Mineo, in Sicily, for burial. There are many legends about her and her healing powers and other things that have happened when people were around her, many are not proven but it's a true testament of their faith. During the three day festival there are many events which includes a mass and parade through the town with members carrying the statue of Agrippina on their shoulders as well as having marching bands. Also during the events time is taken out to honor Stephen J. Steriti who was a member in the 70's that died in the Vietnam war. This is a long tradition that has been handed down and by the looks of it the festival will be going strong for decades to come. Regardless of your religious beliefs there can be no denying the faith and dedication these people have to their Saint, their devotion is unmatched. I have to say I found the film to be interesting and entertaining and it is certainly inspirational.

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It was wonderful to see these people bond together, from the elder members to the young children everyone pitched in and was eager to be a part of it. Along the way I learned a lot about the Saint I never knew and in the end I was uplifted and it left me feeling good and with a smile on my face. In a time when religious beliefs seem to be on the decline for many reasons it is nice to see a story like this and it shows there are some out there that still have faith. The film is fantastic and it really captures the feel of the celebration and I found the interviews to be enlightening and informative. Viva! Saint Agrippina is a feel good film that is easily one of the best documentaries I have seen in some time. In today's world it is nice to see a film that leaves you feeling good for a change, if you're looking for something different or like a good documentary then this is a must-see film. If interested you can find out more information HERE.

Released by Creepy Kid Productions

***** Out Of *****