Lake Country ArtWalk 2025 will feature a rare opportunity for visitors to attend an exclusive Sveva Caetani film screening. Coldstream artist and filmmaker Heidi Thompson will host two special sneak preview screenings of her new documentary Sveva Caetani: Recapitulation – A Journey. The screenings are part of ArtWalk’s sit-down events, giving audiences a chance to experience Caetani’s life and art in an immersive cinematic format.
The first screening will take place on Saturday, September 6, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Creekside Theatre. A second screening will follow on Sunday, September 7, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the George Elliot Secondary School drama room. Tickets are priced at $12.50, and early reservation is encouraged due to limited seating. Reservations can be made online, with payment also accepted at ArtWalk’s sales desk in the George Elliot Secondary foyer, at Thompson’s art booth at École H.S. Grenda Middle School, or via e-transfer.
An additional screening is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24, at the Caetani Cultural Centre Gallery in Vernon. Admission is by donation, and RSVP registration is recommended. A short intermission will be included, and refreshments will be available by donation.
The 84-minute film is designed for audience feedback and cultural engagement and does not constitute a commercial premiere, preserving festival eligibility. Written and painted by Sveva Caetani, and adapted, produced, and directed by Thompson, the film blends Caetani’s painting, writing, music, and poetic narration to tell her story — from loss and isolation to artistic awakening. Armenian cinematographer Nikita Bagratuni collaborated on the production to help bring Caetani’s work to life on screen.
The film highlights Caetani’s monumental Recapitulation series, a 56-painting magnum opus. Thompson describes the work as a modern “Divine Comedy” that takes viewers through symbolic chapters of “Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise,” ending in a finale of colour, light, and hope. The adaptation respects Caetani’s original artwork while creating a fluid widescreen experience that immerses audiences in her artistic vision.
Thompson, a friend and photographer of the late Italian-Canadian artist, said the film invites viewers to experience how Caetani transformed personal grief and isolation into luminous works of art. She will introduce each screening and host a question-and-answer session afterward. Thompson will also display her own abstract art during ArtWalk 2025.
The timing of the previews coincides with an upcoming international exhibition. Caetani’s complete Recapitulation series will be featured at the MAXXI Museum of Modern Art in Rome, opening October 3. This major exhibition will present her work to a global audience and highlight her significance in the contemporary art world.
The Caetani Cultural Centre in Vernon will also open its doors from September 23 to 26. Visitors will be among the first to see newly digitized footage of Sveva Caetani speaking about her life and work. The centre, housed in the Caetani family’s 130-year-old heritage home, will offer self-guided tours of the museum, new displays of family collections, and a refreshed Gift Shop.
Sveva Caetani, who passed away in 1994, left behind a legacy of resilience and creativity. The Sveva Caetani film screening at Lake Country ArtWalk 2025 gives audiences a unique chance to celebrate her life, explore her art, and reflect on the transformative power of creativity.
