In the world of sport there is constant debate over who qualifies as the Greatest of All Time. In basketball, is it Jordan or LeBron? In soccer, Messi or Maradona? In Formula 1 racing, Lewis Hamilton or Ayrton Senna?
In the world of glassblowing, however, there is no debate. The GOAT title unquestionably goes to an amiable Italian by the name of Lino Tagliapietra. Even Dale Chihuly, another world-renowned master of the artform, calls Lino the Greatest of All Time.
Lino’s thrilling gift comes to spectacular life in the documentary Sono Lino, directed by Jacob Patrick. It won Best Documentary Feature at the just-concluded Chelsea Film Festival in New York and holds its third screening at the Newport Film Festival this Thursday (Patrick will take part in a Q&A afterwards). It screens at the MIT Doc Lab in Boston on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Patrick is expected there for a Q&A as well; the screening will be introduced by MIT Professor of Computer Science Erik Demaine and MIT Instructor and Artistic Director of the Glass Lab Peter Houk).
Lino Tagliapietra at work. Behind him is Dale Chihuly.
Amalgamation Pictures
“This project and Lino have changed my life,” Patrick writes in a director’s statement. “The filming for this project started all the way back in February of 2020, just weeks before the lockdown of the pandemic began. It was then that I got to meet Lino in person for the first time. I not only got to experience him work, but also experience the magic that he brings into each space he walks into. From that point I felt overwhelmingly compelled to tell his story. There was something about him that really transcended his work, so that’s what I set out to capture. There is a deeply grounding humility to Lino that I wanted to capture honestly, while also capturing the majesty of his work.
“After the residual effects of the pandemic seemed to settle down, and with no specific timeline in mind, I started following him around the world, spending as much time with him as I could. There was no big budget, no huge crew, just me with a camera in hand, spending some of the most impactful moments of my career with an incredibly special man. After almost two years and many trips, both planned and spontaneous, to Murano, Seattle, and even Biot, France, I knew we had something incredibly special.”
A Lino Tagliapietra work emerges from the flames
Amalgamation Pictures
Patrick continues, “I set out to tell the story of a man. What I discovered was the story of a family, and a legacy that will lovingly be carried on by the artists who he has deeply impacted throughout his life and career. To be around the wisdom of someone who is nearly 90 years old with a career spanning nearly eight decades, and to feel his day-to-day joy, his quiet, his heart, was transformative for me.”
Sono Lino is an Amalgamation Pictures production, directed and produced by Jacob Patrick. Jacopo Vecchiato is executive producer, with Robin Burke as co-executive producer. Lano Medina and Jolie Lippincott serve as associate producers. Cinematography is by Jacob Patrick. Lano Medina edited the film; original music is provided by Audiomachine.