I'm overdue keeping you in the loop, and every week is bringing big steps forward for this film. In mid-October, we had a jam-packed work session at Case Vecchie, where our Milan editing team came down to Sicily for a few days of screening, editing, last-minute filming, and audio work. Then last week, Fabrizia and I worked on translation and subtitles, which really brings the film to life for those who (like me) can't understand much Sicilian. There is a beautiful challenge in this type of translation--trying to convert the metaphors of one language into the six second two-line captions of another language--but there is also a beautiful reward when this poetry makes the leap across these borders.
Right now, we're finalizing color and audio correction, and actually getting ready to ship the whole thing off for some mid-November film festival deadlines. It's been a flurry of work over the last year and a half, and we're looking forward to the next stage: getting this to you for viewing! We'll have a trailer out soon, but we would love you to be in touch if you have ideas about the viewership side of this (places that might be interested in screening or writing about the 40-minute film).
Here are a few other updates from the crew:
1. We settled on a final title for the film! AMURI, with Sacred Flavors of Sicily as the subtitle. Amuri is a uniquely Sicilian word for love, a sentiment that underlies all aspects of our film: the love of fingers dancing through dough, the love of grandparents passing on traditions through the generations, the love in the religious devotion of the alters, the love we feel for the landscape and its people. We are so excited to share this love--of cuisine, of faith, of land, of people--with audiences through the film.
2. In late summer we hired Milan-based professional journalist and documentary writer Chiara Pelizzoni to work on authoring the documentary with Giacomo in Milan. She has a range of expertise (worked as the chief press officer for the Milan 2012 IIV World Meeting of Families, is a current journalist for Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana, and previously worked 7 years in Rome for programs ranging from MTV to TV2000), and we're thrilled Chiara could join us late in the game. Here's a photo of her and Giacomo filming Fabrizia in her natural habitat, the Case Vecchie gardens:
3. From our base at the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School we've been brainstorming how to make the flavors of the film's religious festivals come alive for you, and we've decided to devote two March workshops to the feasts of Saint Joseph and Easter. Beginning with a discussion and screening of documentary, these 5-day workshops will take guests into the scenes of the film: the village bakeshops where the ornate breads of Saint Joseph are made, and the winding streets of the flower-filled Easter procession. Back at the cooking school, we'll cook with the local flavors of Sicilian spring, learning about the stories, techniques, and recipes that have been handed down through generations for these festivals. Check out the links for more information, and email [email protected] if you're interested in signing up.
We're hoping viewers can start seeing this film in early 2015, but until then, check out our Facebook page for more updates and thanks again for your ongoing support--we wouldn't be here without you!!
Erica Berry (co-producer)