The Treasure of His Youth (Il Tesoro di San Gennaro)
A chance discovery of forgotten negatives leads photographer-filmmaker Bruce Weber to the 94-year-old Italian lensman Paolo di Paolo, whose intimate portraits of post-war Rome captured auteurs, icons and the spirit of an era.
DIRECTOR
Bruce Weber
with
1h 45m • Documentary, Biography • USA
Paolo di Paolo • Silvia di Paolo • Bruce Weber (voice) • Giuseppe Casetti • Luca Stoppini
The film has been described as elegiac but never mournful, capturing the joy and melancholy of a vanished world. Critics admire how it bridges personal and historical memory, juxtaposing Di Paolo’s black-and-white images of 1950s Italy with Weber’s warm, contemporary gaze. While some find its pacing unhurried, most agree that the meditative tone suits the material. Ultimately, The Treasure of His Youth stands as both homage and dialogue—a love letter to photography itself, and to the quiet brilliance of a man who saw life in light and shadow.
CRITICS ROUNDUP
A luminous portrait of art and memory
Critics have praised The Treasure of His Youth as a reflective and deeply humane documentary that illuminates both its subject and its maker. Bruce Weber approaches Paolo di Paolo’s rediscovered archive with reverence, crafting a cinematic conversation between two photographers separated by generations yet united by their curiosity for beauty and truth. Reviewers highlight the tenderness of the film’s rhythm—the way Weber lingers on faces, gestures, and silences, allowing Di Paolo’s modesty and insight to unfold naturally.