«The Flame» by Emanuel Toffolo

Are you ready to embark on a journey through time and space to discover the fascinating world of the lampworking technique? “The Flame”, the new documentary film by Emanuel Toffolo, an artist born in 1982 in Murano, Italy, to a family of celebrated glass artists, explores the fascinating history of this artist technique whose roots wind through eras and countries.

The film begins at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, where Eric Goldsmith, an art enthusiast and inquisitive mind, admires a collection of masterpieces made using lampworking techniques more than 4,000 years ago.
Enter the museum’s curator, who convinces Eric to embark on a journey through different eras and countries, retracing the footsteps of the most influential figures in lampworking. And where better to start than from the beating heart of glassmaking, the island of Murano?

Eric meets some of the most skilled lampworking artists from around the world and gains a deep appreciation for this ancient and beautiful art form, through the words of the men and women who have allowed this ancient tradition to live on through the centuries.

Not just a history of tradition, though. Among others, Eric interviews Bruno Amadi, class of 1946, an artist based in his native Venice who reinterprets the ancient art of traditional lampworking in a contemporary way, resulting in unique creations collected in various museums around the city. Another voice that makes up the chorus of testimonials is that of Cesare Toffolo, a master glassmaker from Murano with a historic family tradition behind him that he has helped carry forward into the present.

The history of lampworking is interwoven with the human history of the local population and its reverberations in the rest of the world, thanks to the voices, eyes, and memories of the people who have dedicated their lives to this art that has never, over the decades, lost its appeal.

Emanuel Toffolo’s expert direction and narration, combined with stunning cinematography, make “THE FLAME – The Art and the History of Lampworking” a must-see documentary for anyone who loves the art of glass or wants to learn more about the history of this great art form.