The short film Infamia tells the story of the love between a gladiator and a sex worker from
Pompeii. Markéta magidová (Director): “In the exhibition I am presenting a short film called
Infamia, for which I have created a sculptural installation inspired by the visuality of archaeological
sites. Under the floor of the amphitheatre, visitors can see pseudo-fictional objects in red lighting
belonging to the main characters of the film, the prostitute Mole and the gladiator Rusticus. These
two lovers, who in Roman society fell into the category of those without a “good reputation”, the
so-called infamia, experience in Pompeii the hardships resulting from their low social status and the
role assigned to them. The instantaneous destruction of Pompeii preserved not only the physical
form of the city but also the features of its social order. The voiceover in the film is inspired by the
surviving inscriptions from the historic brothel. The vast majority of the sentences scratched into
the plaster in the inhospitable squalor powerfully mark male territory, boastfully assessing the
performance and preferences of the clients. A single, distinct sentence, full of empathy and care,
also becomes the film’s central line: ‘The mole is dying, writes the boy Rusticus. Who will mourn for
Mola?”. The chorus at the end of the film, accompanying the mythological scenery, connects the
voices of those who treat every human life with respect.” (https://telegraph.cz/journal/rozhovor-smarketou-magidovou).