The Old Man and the Sea – Preview of the 41st Hemingway Prize

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at 8:45 PM, the stage of CineCity in Lignano Sabbiadoro will host an intense tale of courage, solitude and friendship with “The Old Man and the Sea”, a staged reading inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s masterpiece, directed by Sebastiano Somma.
The performance stars Francesco Gojak, accompanied by the evocative flute music of Roberto Fabbriciani.

At the heart of the story is Santiago, an old fisherman alone in the vastness of the sea, who embarks on a titanic battle against nature: a giant marlin he fights with all his strength. But his greatest struggle is with the sharks that relentlessly tear away his hard-won prize, leaving him only the skeleton of his conquest. In this unequal battle, Santiago discovers a pride he never knew he had, realizing that victory can hide defeat, and that true courage lies in facing the inevitable.

Alongside him, though physically distant, is young Manolin, the only one who truly understands and remains loyal to him. Their bond represents a deep connection between generations, the value of care, learning, and fidelity.

Through skillful direction, powerful narration and compelling performances, this stage reading conveys the full symbolic strength of Hemingway’s novel—written in the final years of his life—as it explores the great themes of his literary legacy and American literature: the solitary hero’s epic, the fight against fate, and the fragile yet noble human spirit.

Event organized by the Culture Office of the Municipality of Lignano Sabbiadoro, in collaboration with PordenoneLegge and Lignano Sabbiadoro Gestioni Spa.