Restless Heart: The Confessions of Saint Augustine

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Restless Heart: The Confessions of Saint Augustine
Screenplay by Francesco Arlanch
Sebastian Henckel-Donnersmarck
Story by Gianmario Pagano
Directed by Christian Duguay
Starring
Music by Andrea Guerra
Country of originItaly
Germany
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers Luca Bernabei
Matilde Bernabei
Martin Choroba
Franco Coduti
Saverio D'Ercole
Franz Esterhazy
Chris Grabowski
Krzysztof Grabowski
Golli Marboe
Vincenzo Mosca
Daniele Passani
Cinematography Fabrizio Lucci
Editors
Running time205 minutes
Original release
Release31 January 2010 (2010-01-31)

Restless Heart: The Confessions of Saint Augustine (distributed in the US as: Augustine: The Decline of the Roman Empire, Italian: Sant'Agostino) is a 2010 two-part television miniseries chronicling the life of St. Augustine, [1] the early Christian theologian, writer and Bishop of Hippo Regius at the time of the Vandal invasion (AD 430). [2] [3] [4]

Contents

This series was directed by Christian Duguay and was shot on location in Tunisia.

Plot

In 430 AD, in the besieged city of Hippo, the seventy year-old bishop Augustine tells Jovinus, a captain of the Roman guards, the story of how his Christian mother, Monica, saved him. Born in the North African city of Thagaste, Augustine studied in Carthage, becoming an accomplished but dissolute orator. After converting to Manichaeism, a guiltfree religion, he was called to the imperial court in Milan to serve as an opponent to the Christian bishop Ambrose. But when the Empress Justina sends imperial guards to clear out a basilica where Augustine's own mother is worshipping, he is won over to Christianity. Back in Hippo, Augustine urges the Roman garrison to negotiate with the Vandal King Genseric, but they proudly refuse. At that point, he too, passing up a chance to escape on a ship sent to rescue him by the Pope, stays by the side of his people.

Cast

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augustine of Hippo</span> Christian theologian, philosopher, and saint (354–430)

Augustine of Hippo, also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings influenced the development of Western philosophy and Western Christianity, and he is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Latin Church in the Patristic Period. His many important works include The City of God, On Christian Doctrine, and Confessions.

The 380s decade ran from January 1, 380, to December 31, 389.

The 430s decade ran from January 1, 430, to December 31, 439.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">430</span> Calendar year

Year 430 (CDXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Theodosius and Valentinianus. The denomination 430 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

The 420s decade ran from January 1, 420, to December 31, 429.

The 390s decade ran from January 1, 390 to December 31, 399

The 460s decade ran from January 1, 460, to December 31, 469.

The 330s decade ran from January 1, 330, to December 31, 339.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">387</span> Calendar year

Year 387 (CCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Eutropius. The denomination 387 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vandals</span> East Germanic tribe

The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hippo Regius</span> Ancient name for the modern city of Annaba, Algeria

Hippo Regius is the ancient name of the modern city of Annaba, Algeria. It historically served as an important city for the Phoenicians, Berbers, Romans, and Vandals. Hippo was the capital city of the Vandal Kingdom from 435 to 439 AD. until it was shifted to Carthage following the Vandal capture of Carthage (439).

<i>Confessions</i> (Augustine) Autobiographical work by Saint Augustine

Confessions is an autobiographical work by Augustine of Hippo, consisting of 13 books written in Latin between AD 397 and 400. The work outlines Augustine's sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The Confessions of Saint Augustine in order to distinguish the book from other books with similar titles. Its original title was Confessions in Thirteen Books, and it was composed to be read out loud with each book being a complete unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Monica</span> Christian saint; Saint Augustines mother

Monica was an early North African Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo. She is remembered and honored in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, albeit on different feast days, for her outstanding Christian virtues, particularly the suffering caused by her husband's adultery, and her prayerful life dedicated to the reformation of her son, who wrote extensively of her pious acts and life with her in his Confessions. Popular Christian legends recall Monica weeping every night for her son Augustine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alypius of Thagaste</span>

Alypius of Thagaste was bishop of the see of Thagaste Algeria) in 394. He was a lifelong friend of Augustine of Hippo and joined him in his conversion and life in Christianity. He is credited with helping establish Augustine's monastery in Africa. Most of what is known about him comes from Augustine's autobiographical Confessions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thagaste</span>

Thagaste was a Roman-Berber city in present-day Algeria, now called Souk Ahras. The town was the birthplace of Saint Augustine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Roman-era Tunisia</span> Aspect of history

Roman Tunisia initially included the early ancient Roman province of Africa, later renamed Africa Vetus. As the Roman empire expanded, the present Tunisia also included part of the province of Africa Nova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vandal Kingdom</span> Germanic Kingdom in North Africa

The Vandal Kingdom or Kingdom of the Vandals and Alans was a confederation of Vandals and Alans, which is one of the barbarian kingdoms established under Gaiseric, a Vandal warrior. It ruled in North Africa and the Mediterranean from 435 to 534 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Hippo Regius</span>

The siege of Hippo Regius was a siege from June 430 to August 431, carried out by the Vandals under their king Genseric against Roman defenders under Boniface, Count of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calama (Numidia)</span>

Calama was a colonia in the Roman province of Numidia situated where Guelma in Algeria now stands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capture of Carthage (439)</span> Vandal capture of a Roman North African city

Carthage was captured by the Vandals from the Western Roman Empire on 19 October 439. Under their leader Genseric, the Vandals crossed the Strait of Gibraltar into Africa and captured Hippo Regius in August 431, which they made the capital of their kingdom. Despite an uneasy peace with the Romans, Genseric made a surprise attack against Carthage in October 439. After capturing Carthage, the Vandals put the city to the sack and made it the new capital of their kingdom.

References

  1. Lux Vide:Augustine - The Decline of the Roman Empire Archived 2019-03-06 at the Wayback Machine , 25.12.09
  2. "St. Augustine premieres on the big screen".
  3. "Restless Heart: The Confessions of St. Augustine". 27 August 2012.
  4. "St. Augustine Larger than Life in 'Restless Heart' - Christian Newswire".