On 2 September 2025, Silvia Cappellozza (responsible of the Sericulture laboratory of Padua) and Dr Diana Mantegazza attended the premiere of the short film ‘Sulle Orme di Marco Polo – Pippo non lo sa’ (‘On the Footsteps of Marco Polo – Pippo Doesn’t Know’), directed by Clizia Fornasier and Attilio Fontana.
Supported by the Veneto Region, the film recounts the journey of a young boy, Marco through time as he rediscovers the fascinating history of silk, a fibre with a long tradition in the Veneto region that is linked to the re-enactment of the Silk Road as described in ‘Il Milione’. Like a modern Marco Polo, the young protagonist is guided by an ancient Venetian fairy tale, which was passed down through generations, to reach Graziella, a girl from the past who ‘lives off’ silk. She lives with her silkworms day and night, caring for and feeding them. The two children experience the Second World War and the critical issues of that period together, sharing aspects of their two worlds and enriching each other. In doing so, they come to understand the value of cultural contamination and the importance of applying the teachings of the past for the greater good, driven by a desire for knowledge and curiosity.
The short film was made possible through the activities of the Horizon Aracne project, which enabled the Sericulture laboratory of CREA to provide the living materials (cocoons, silkworms and leaves) that feature the short film.
