HERE WE START PAINTING WITH STONE

A documentary by MASSIMO D'ALESSANDRO

In Rome's imperial port, a mosaic nearly erased by time is undergoing careful restoration. By following the restorers' work, the documentary brings Portus back to life and recounts the stories of the artisans and sailors who crossed the Mediterranean for centuries.

"People no longer like panels or spaces that stretch mountains across a room: so we're starting to paint with stone."    Thus Pliny attests to the introduction of a new decorative technique that would become one of the most popular for paving and decorating imperial buildings, private residences, and public structures: the mosaic. Among the many sites adorned with these works, one offers exceptional evidence in one of the world's largest archaeological parks: Ostia Antica, the Necropolis of Porto, and Portus, the imperial port of Claudius and Trajan.

When Stone Becomes a Story

A expanse of black-and-white tesserae, worn by time, covers the floor of an almost forgotten building. All around, where grass and vegetation now grow, two thousand years ago ships, goods, and people from all over the Mediterranean came and went. "Here We Begin to Paint with Stone" begins with a delicate restoration project at the Portus archaeological site and leads the viewer into the largest port system of ancient Rome. A place where art history, engineering, and daily life still converge beneath the surface.

A Mosaic Awaiting Rebirth

In the complex of the Terme del Molo della Lanterna, a floor mosaic has been exposed for years to water, soil, and vegetation. The tiles have come loose, the design has been disrupted, and entire sections are at risk of being lost. The documentary follows restorers as they undertake a painstaking and irreversible task: cleaning, consolidating, lifting, and reassembling the work without erasing the authentic traces of time. Every step requires expertise. Every tile must be returned to its proper place.

Portus, Rome's Maritime Gateway

The restoration serves as a starting point for rediscovering Portus, the port built by Emperors Claudius and Trajan to support a metropolis that had reached unprecedented proportions. Artificial basins, piers, lighthouses, canals, and warehouses formed a logistical system capable of receiving ships laden with grain, wine, oil, marble, and goods from the Empire's provinces. Today, the sea is far away and much of that structure is buried, but Trajan's great hexagonal basin continues to shape the landscape.

Behind the Work, the Men

The mosaic is not merely a decorative technique. It brings to mind the artisans who created it and the sailors who frequented the thermal baths at the end of long and uncertain voyages. Through ancient accounts, archaeological images, and reconstructions, the film brings the audience closer to the people who brought the port to life: men from different cultures, united by work, seafaring, and the hope of building a new life within the Roman world.

How is a Roman mosaic restored?

The camera enters the restoration site and observes a transformation that normally remains invisible to the public. The removal of deposits, consolidation, lining with tissue paper, and repositioning of sections reveal just how fine the line is between restoring a work and altering it. The final result is not revealed in advance: it is the documentary itself that reveals, step by step, what can still reemerge from a seemingly compromised surface.

A Journey Through Archaeology, Art, and Navigation

The film weaves together three narrative threads: the contemporary restoration, the construction of the imperial harbor, and the lives of the men who crossed the Mediterranean. From this interweaving emerges a story accessible even to those without specialized knowledge, yet who wish to discover how an archaeological fragment can open a window onto an entire civilization.

AWARDS:

• Best Archaeological Documentary at the POMPEI STREET FESTIVAL 2023
• Best Foreign Documentary at the 2023 Reels International Short Film Festival (India)

CREDITS:

• Title: HERE WE START PAINTING WITH STONE
• Author: Massimo D'Alessandro
• Produced by: OSTIA ANTICA ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
• In collaboration with: A.S.S.O. (Underwater Archaeology and Speleology Organisation) ETS
• Executive Producer: Maria Teresa Pilloni
• Cinematography: Marco Vitelli
• Music: Edizioni Flipper Music
• Editing and Direction: Massimo D'Alessandro
• Running time: 28 minutes
• Language: Italian
• Subtitles: English
• 2020