Films of Sicily and Sardinia
Preface by Simon Hill
Simon Hill DGPh HonFRPS
President and Chair of Trustees
The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain
In January 1921, the English novelist, travel writer and painter, David Herbert Lawrence and his German wife Frieda, Baroness von Richthofen, embarked on an adventurous albeit brief journey from Taormina in Sicily to the interior of Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean. Lawrence and Frieda were both writers and their journey through this wild and untamed island was so impactful that it became the foundation for Lawrence’s celebrated travel memoir, Sea and Sardinia (1921), a vivid exploration of the island’s rugged landscapes and the raw, authentic spirit of its people.
Lawrence’s Sea and Sardinia holds a unique place in travel literature, celebrated for its vivid portrayal of Sardinia. Though a departure from his more famous works like Sons and Lovers (1913) or Women in Love (1920), this travelogue showcases his literary ability to distil the essence of place, culture, and human nature. He was not merely documenting the landscape; he was conveying a deeper, almost spiritual connection to the rawness of Sardinia’s unspoiled beauty and the modest simplicity of its people. His reflections were deeply intertwined with the island’s cultural rhythms, marking the book as more than just a travel narrative but a piece of literary ethnography.
Films of Sicily and Sardinia provides a visual echo of Lawrence’s steps, it is also a fresh reimagining of his journey. Marzeddu’s Sicily and Sardinia are not merely the lands of Lawrence’s past but places where history and modernity intertwine. His photographs weave together the ancient and the contemporary, revealing a time and place that is as enigmatic now as it was then… islands of contrasts, where silence speaks louder than words, and where every corner holds a story untold.
As you turn these pages, you will walk in the footsteps of Lawrence and Frieda, but also in the literary shadow of Deledda and in harmony with the Sardinians of today. Through the visionary lens of Daniele Marzeddu, this photobook is an invitation to explore a land that remains as compelling and mysterious today as when Lawrence first set foot on its shores a century ago.
Acknowledgements
Daniele Marzeddu
A photographer whose passion is making films. In 2019 he set up the art collective thevisualguys.com for producing visual art and films. An awarded photographer and filmmaker, he is member of: A-N The Artists Information Company UK; Documentando - Documentary Filmmakers (Italy); CameraPixo Press International; Shutter Hub UK. Since 2005 he has been working with several different companies and institutions across Portugal, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.
D. H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum
The D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum is the childhood home of the author D.H. Lawrence. The Museum is located in the ex-mining town of Eastwood and surrounded by the lovely landscapes that influenced Lawrence’s life and books. An authentically recreated miner’s cottage, birthplace of world renowned Nottinghamshire author. A charming, award-winning museum & gift shop also featuring an exhibition space dedicated to showing how Lawrence lived a life without limits as well as showcasing the work of a new generation of local artists, keeping Lawrence’s legacy alive.
lleisure.co.uk/d-h-lawrence-birthplace-museum/
Island2Island Art
An artistic initiative born with the aim of presenting contemporary works by Sardinian and international artists in conversation. Since the closing of the first event in October 2020, it has grown and developed new collaborations and has extended its action thanks to the connections between cultures, in celebration of each other’s heritage, cultural diversity and human associations.
