Michelangelo Antonioni (1912-2007)
As sad as I was to learn
that you are gone,
as happy I was to hear
that you went in peace,
the way you wanted to,
conscious and clear.
Awareness and clarity,
perception and rigour
were your strengths,
and you relied on them
all through your life
and up to your death.
Modernity for you
was not a fleeting trend
but to fully seize
contemporary life
while anticipating
its possible futures.
I am proud
that I had the privilege
to meet you,
and that I was allowed to see
your mind and your eyes
at work.
You left us a treasure:
your writing, your painting
and your way of looking
that all condensed into
the timeless architecture
of your films.
Your experiences
that you shared with us
have shed a lasting light
on ours,
not just in cinema.
Grazie, Michelangelo.
Wim Wenders,
Sicily, July 31 2007
