To the Top: Film Shines Light on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s Humanity and Holiness

September 7, 2025

A new Italian docudrama, To the Top – Pier Giorgio Frassati / Full Movie, has captured international attention by offering a moving portrait of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. The 52–minute film blends dramatization and interviews, exploring the faith, humanity and enduring impact of the young Italian blessed.

Directed and written by Daniela Gurrieri, the film centres on a single day when Pier Giorgio goes mountain climbing with friends. The hike becomes a powerful metaphor for his spiritual journey, inspired by the phrase “Verso l’alto” (“To the Top”), which he wrote on a photograph taken shortly before his sudden death from polio.

The storyline begins with an early morning Mass, followed by a train journey to the mountains. The climb is interwoven with flashbacks that reflect his life as a student, son of a prominent diplomat and journalist, and his profound devotion to prayer, the Eucharist and service to the poor.

The docudrama highlights Pier Giorgio’s deep faith and commitment to charity. It portrays his strong opposition to fascism, his indifference to personal comfort and his infectious joy that drew others to him. Far from being depicted as a distant figure, he appears both spiritually mature and delightfully human, full of laughter, friendship and authenticity.

Francesco Buttironi, who plays Pier Giorgio, spoke of the balance required to show both the human and spiritual dimensions of the blessed, avoiding an abstract or idealised image. A particularly poignant moment came during the filming of a rosary scene in the mountains. For the cast and crew, the prayer ceased to be mere performance and became a lived experience that touched them deeply.

The production also features around 30 minutes of interviews with family members, the cast and others, offering deeper insight into Pier Giorgio’s life and legacy. The documentary embodies Gurrieri’s vision to present Frassati not only as a model of holiness but also as a relatable young man whose life continues to inspire.

At its heart, To the Top reveals Pier Giorgio as a layman whose short life bore witness to faith in action—anchored in prayer, dedicated to the poor and defined by joy.

To the Top: Film Shines Light on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s Humanity and Holiness

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