THE SCORTA'S SUN

 

Le Soleil des Scorta - Laurent Gaudé & Benjamin Bachelier - 19 x 24 cm - 376 pages - €32 - October 2014

 

The Scortas’ Sun is the story of a family whose fate seems to weigh as heavily on them as the southern Italian sun. From one generation to the next, Carmela, Giuseppe, Domenico and the others, aspire to a better life. And yet, it is right there, in that arid land, that they discover the secret to happiness together…

The painter and illustrator Benjamin Bachelier takes hold of their family saga. His version of the story is as bright as the Puglia sun, and as dark as the Scortas’ poverty. Using a great variety of techniques – watercolour, acrylic, drawing and ink – Benjamin succeeds, above all, in bringing unexpected colours to the characters’ memories and dreams.