We're also thrilled to unveil a teaser trailer for the film:
We're done with post-production for the film! DVDs are currently whizzing through the international post and links flying through the interwebs as we are applying for film festivals. Do you have ideas of festivals in your local area that you think might be a good fit? This process is ongoing, so let us know! We're also thrilled to unveil a teaser trailer for the film: We also have our first public screening on the calendar! Saturday May 16th at the Starlight Theatre on Nantucket island, in Massachusetts. Check out http://www.sideboardsmallbatchevents.com/pmo-to-ack/dinner-a-movie-aperitivo-film-4-course-dinner-with-wine for more information about buying tickets, which include an aperitivo cooked by Fabrizia and, optionally, a four-course meal following the film. We'll keep you posted as we figure out more of our screening schedule this spring.
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Ciao all! 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)
Built in 1184, Palermo's cathedral on Corso Vittorio Emanuele has since been shaped by Gothic, Catalan, and Neoclassical forces. Here, the ivory walls glowed with fire-like lights, dancers took to the balustrades, and a storyteller backed by soaring orchestral music gave a performance honoring the good fortune Santa Rosalia has bestowed on the city.
The crowd follows the floats down to the water, where music and fireworks fill the night. The good energy of the night is so infectious that even when I eventually fell asleep, in an apartment a few blocks away, I couldn't complain about the (lullaby of) laughter, music, and conversation as it continued into the wee hours.
The day after the procession, Giacomo and I went to the nearby resort town of Mondello (7 km from downtown Palermo) to shoot a time-lapse of Monte Pellegrino. When he said we were stopping for an ice-cream sandwich, I expected a gelato-filled version of the cardboard chocolate crackers we have in America. Instead, he ordered this brioche-like treat, here with nutella and pistachio gelato.
Ten days after I arrived in Sicily from America, I boarded the squeaking two-car train in Vallelunga and left the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School for the capital city of Palermo to film the Festa di Santa Rosalia, dedicated to the city's patron saint. When the jovial train conductor heard my accent, she called me “principessa,” and asked if I was from New York. When I told her no—Portland Oregon, near California—she introduced me to the rest of the train as “California.” We’ll see if the nickname sticks next time I board the train. Giacomo, a born-and-raised Palermitan, met me at the train station in late afternoon, shepherding me to his car for an authentic driving tour: speeding through ancient stone alleyways barely wider than the car and weaving between cars and motorbikes on the wider avenues. His driving was an art. When I asked him if the traffic was because it was post-work rush hour, he laughed: no, this was just Palermo. It did not take me long to see the beauty in this chaos. Layers of history from its inhabitants and rulers--Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine, Greek, Arab, Norman--have combined to create a landscape where the traditions and cuisine are as unique as the architecture. Even though we arrived a few days before the July 15 feast and parade, the spirit of the festival pervaded the city. The main streets were strung with ornamental lights, the waterfront sidewalks already filling with ornately decorated stands selling a rainbow of candy, nuts, and snacks (more on this later!). Dieci giorni dopo il mio arrivo in Sicilia dall'America, ho preso il cigolante trenino a due carrozze a Vallelunga e ho lasciato la scuola di cucina Anna Tasca Lanza per dirigermi verso Palermo, la città capoluogo, per filmare la Festa di Santa Rosalia, dedicata al santo patrono della città. Quando la gioviale conduttrice del treno ha sentito il mio accento, mi ha chiamato "principessa", e mi ha chiesto se ero di New York.. Quando le risposi di no-Portland Oregon, vicino California-, mi ha presentato al resto del treno come "California". Vedremo se avrò ancora questo soprannome la prossima volta che salirò su quel trenino. Giacomo, nato e cresciuto a Palermo, mi è venuto incontro alla stazione ferroviaria nel tardo pomeriggio, e accompagnato un autentico tour in auto: in velocità attraverso antiche viuzze in pietra appena più larghe della vettura e saluti tra auto e motorini sulle strade più trafficate. La sua guida era un'arte. Quando gli ho chiesto se era trafficato era perché era l’ ora di punta di uscita dal lavoro, si è messo a ridere: no, questa è solo Palermo. Non mi ci è voluto molto per vedere la bellezza in questo caos. Strati di storia dei suoi abitanti e conquistatori- fenici, romani, bizantini, greci, arabi, normanni - si sono combinati per creare un paesaggio dove le tradizioni e la cucina sono unici come l'architettura. Anche se siamo arrivati un paio di giorni prima del 15 luglio giorno della festa e sfilata, lo spirito del festival già pervade la città. Le strade principali sono ornate da filari di luci, i marciapiedi sul lungomare sono già pieni di bancarelle riccamente decorate da un arcobaleno di caramelle, frutta secca e snack (più su questo dopo!). Palermo is rimmed on one side by the saturated azure of the Tyrrhenian sea, and, on the other sides, steep cliffs and the impressive, shadow-casting Monte Pellegrino. As we left the tangle of old town streets, we wound our way up the mountain, passing spandex-clad bikers and hillsides dotted with clumps of prickly pear cactuses as we neared the Sanctuaria di Santa Rosalia. Palermo è bordato da un lato dall’ azzurro saturo del Mar Tirreno, e, sugli altri lati, da ripide scogliere e dall’ impressionante ombra che proietta Monte Pellegrino. Appena lasciato il groviglio di strade della città vecchia, abbiamo ritrovato la nostra strada , su per la montagna, superando ciclisti rivestiti in tute spandex e colline punteggiate di piante di fico d'India mentre ci avvicinavamo sempre di più al Santuario di Santa Rosalia With the successful completion of our second Kickstarter campaign (thank you, thank you!!!) our team has started filming our final round of festivals in the next few months, beginning with Santa Rosalia, which we filmed in Palermo July 11-15. After over seven months of wonderful work, co-producer Lena Connor is safely settled back in the U.S., and already greatly missed in Italy. We’re lucky this lovely lady will still be helping us from across the sea, in between her adventures with flocks of adoring summer campers and her transitioning into graduate school. Meanwhile, after a transatlantic journey that included two cars, two planes, two trains, and one bus, I landed at Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School a few week to officially begin my work as the other co-producer. Even though the days are hot, Sicily is achingly beautiful right now. The hills are golden with just-harvested wheat, a precursor to plates of delicious bread and pasta, and the trees are heavy with everything from ripening citrons to figs to olives. I’m sharing with you some snapshots of what we’ve eaten over the last few weeks, so you can, maybe, begin to taste the flavors of this magical island… Making cavatelli pasta: Fiori di zucca: beer-battered garden-fresh zucchini blossoms stuffed with pecorino cheese and sardines: Crostata al al gelo di mellone: pie with watermelon jelly and crumbled pistachios Stay tuned for a coming blog post about the wonders of Santa Rosalia, and—wherever you are—hope you are enjoying midsummer’s bounty.
- Erica Berry (co-producer) Oh, where to begin with the festival of San Giuseppe? How could I capture the beauty of this celebration? This festival is the crown jewel of our film; it was the festival that first inspired Fabrizia to create this project. San Giuseppe, or Saint Joseph, is an immensely popular saint in Sicily. Husband of Mary, foster father of Jesus, he represents the paternal spirit of care and is the patron saint of workers (particularly laborers and craftsmen). There is a famous legend that San Giuseppe saved Sicily from famine and drought in the middle ages, and the island swore allegiance to him ever since. Oh, da dove cominciare con la festa di San Giuseppe? Come iniziare a catturare la bellezza di questa celebrazione? Questa festivitá é il fiore all´occhiello del nostro film; é stata la prima festivitá a ispirare Fabrizia nella creazione di questo progetto. San Giuseppe è un santo molto popolare in Sicilia. Marito di Maria, padre putativo di Gesù, lui rappresenta lo spirito di cura paterna ed è il santo patrono dei lavoratori (in particolare di operai e di artigiani). Secondo una famosa leggenda, San Giuseppe salvo la Sicilia dalla carestia e dalla siccitá da allora gli isolani gli giurarono fedeltá. In one area of Sicily in particular, in the Belice Valley, the devotion to San Giuseppe is quite strong and the famous altars they create for the feast are truly astounding. As I will explain in more detail in later posts, the two towns where we filmed, Poggioreale and Salaparuta, were both destroyed in 1968 by an infamously deadly earthquake and were rebuilt over the following decades. Despite the tragedy, or perhaps because of it, the communities have a phenomenal loyalty to this festival and this saint. The first day, we filmed the most quintessential culinary creation for the local altars: Scartucciato. In uno zona della Sicilia in particolare, nella Valle del Belice, la devozione a San Giuseppe è molto forte e i famosi altari che la comunitá realizza per la festa sono veramente stupefacenti.. Come spiegherò più in dettaglio nei post successivi, le due città dove abbiamo filmato, Poggioreale e Salaparuta, furono entrambe distrutte nel 1968 da un terremoto tristemente mortale e ricostruite nel corso dei decenni successivi. Nonostante la tragedia, o forse proprio per questo, le comunitá hanno una fedeltá impressionante per questa festa e il loro santo. Il primo giorno, abbiamo filmato la creazione culinaria più barroca per gli altari locali: lo Scartucciato. Scartucciato is a type of intricately carved pastry made by hand here in the Belice Valley especially for San Giuseppe Day. Rosalia Salvaggio, a woman who was born and raised in the valley, makes these works of art in her home kitchen and distributes them around the nearby towns to be used at the many altars, as she is so skilled. Along with her sister and her husband, she welcomed us into her home to show us how she makes them. She spends weeks preparing for the festival; she produces an immense quantity and in over a dozen different forms. Each form has spiritual significance, representing Joseph and the rest of the Holy Family (Jesus and Mary). There is the palm of the Madonna, the staff of Joseph, the fish and cross of Jesus, the peacocks for the Renewed Church, and so on... Lo scartucciato è un tipo di pasta finemente intagliato a mano realizzato qui nella Valle del Belice per Il Giorno di San Giuseppe. Rosalia Salvaggio, una donna che è nata e cresciuta nella valle, poiché lei é una vera esperta, produce queste opera d´arte nella sua cucina e le distribuisce alle cittá limitrofe, dove verranno utilizzate per decorare I numerosi altari.. Insieme con la sorella e suo marito, ci ha accolto nella sua casa per mostrarci come li fà. Rosalia trascorre tante settimane di preparazione per la festa, perché deve produrre una quantitá immensa di pezzi e in dozzine di forme differenti.. Ogni forma ha un significato spirituale e rappresenta Giuseppe, o un membro della Sacra Famiglia Gesú, e Maria). C´é la palma per la Madonna, il bastone per Giuseppe, Il pesce e la croce per Gesú, i pavoni per la Chiesa rinnovata, e così via ... Each form takes hours to make, from start to finish. First the pastry dough must be made, with the perfect consistency to withstand the carving, cutting, and twisting. A fig paste is made for filling (usually during the season for figs and then preserved) and formed into long tubes. The dough is rolled out out thinly and then covered with a thin layer of the fig paste in shape of the form, then covered with another layer of dough. This work was done by Rosalia's sister while we filmed, while Rosalia herself concentrated on the later step: decoration. With a small knife, she cut the borders of the peacock form she was creating, then twisted the strips into small rosettes. Per la realizzazione di ogni forma, dall´inizio alla fine, ci vogliono ore di lavoro. Prima si deve preparare l´impasto che abbia una consistenza perfetta per resistere all´intaglio e alla torsione. Si fa un´impasto con i fichi (solitamente durante la stagione dei fiche e poi conservata) e modellato in lunghi tubi. La pasta viene tirata sottilmente e poi ricoperta da uno strato sottile del preparato di fichi e infine un´altro strato di pasta.. Questo lavoro veniva eseguito dalla sorella, mentre filmavamano Rosalia che era concentrata sulla decorazione di un pavone. Con un coltellino ne intagliava il perimetro e arrotolava le piccole strisce di pasta a forma di rosette. In a colorful kitchen filled with flowers and religious imagery, the women worked in tranquility. Their fingers deftly worked on the intricate forms as if by muscle memory. They did not need to look at designs, examples, or patterns. All the forms are memorized, after years of practice. After completing the borders, they move to the complex floral designs in the center of the forms, using the knife to delicately cut out the necessary shapes. Not a single mistake was ever made. In una cucina colorata piena di fiori e immagini religiose, le donne lavorano in tranquillitá. Le loro dita lavorano abilmente sulle forme intricate come se avessero una loro memoria muscolare. Non avevano bisogno di guardare disegni, esempi o modelli. Tutte le forme sono state memorizzate, dopo anni di pratica. Dopo aver compleatato i bordi esterni, si muovono verso l´interno per realizzare complessi disegni floreali., usando il coltello per tagliare delicatamente le forme necessarie. Non é mai stato fai un solo errore. Rosalia also makes ceramic versions of the forms, to preserve the elaborate designs for future generations and to create something that can be proudly displayed on a wall all year long. We are using these ceramic forms as one of our Kickstarter prizes for our recent campaign (live until June 7th). Rosalia fa anche le versioni in ceramica delle forme, per preservare i disegni elaborati per le generazioni future e per creare qualcosa da mettere in mostra sul muro tutto l´anno. Proprio queste ceramiche sono uno dei nostri premi della nostra campagna Kickstarter (in corso ora fino al 7 giugno). We interviewed Rosalia's charming and knowledgeable husband about the history of the towns, the earthquake, and the festival day. Married before the earthquake, the couple survived the tragedy, transitioned to the new community, rebuilt their lives, and raised a family. They say their heart is still in the old city, which now lies in ruins on a nearby hill. But the festival of San Giuseppe helps keep a continuity to their lives and community, despite the great geological and cultural rupture. Abbiamo intervistato il marito di Rosalia affascinante e ben informato. Abbiamo parlato con della storia delle cittá , del territorio, e del giorno di festa. Sposati prima del terremoto, la coppia sopravvive alla tragedia. Poi lo spostamento nella nuova comunitá dove hanno ricostruito la loro vita e hanno cresciuto una famiglia. Ci dicono che il loro cuore é ancora con la cittá vecchia, che ora giace in rovina su una collina vicina. Ma la festa di San Giuseppe aiuta a mantenere una continuità alle loro vite e alla comunità, nonostante la grande frattura geologica e culturale. We are so grateful to this family for their generosity and for having us in their home, particularly to Rosalia and her sister for gracing us with their immense artistic talent.
Siamo così grati a questa famiglia per la loro generosità e per averci nella loro casa, in particolare per Rosalia e sua sorella, per condividere il loro immenso talento artistico con noi. Thanks to Sabrina Rossi for editing my Italian for this post. Check out her wonderful blog here. :) Our second day in Pantelleria, filming for Carnevale was much more relaxed, in comparison to the previous day filming two huge meals and 3 dance parties. We had a chance to tour around the island taking landscape shots and focus on another sweet confection made on the island for the holiday: I Baci (Kisses). Baci are crisp, fried cookies filled with sweetened ricotta. Using shaped molds to fry them makes them a picturesque. A local woman whom we had met the night before kindly offered to make them for us in her apartment kitchen in the main city of Pantelleria. Il secondo giorno è stato più rilassato: abbiamo vistato l’isola , ammirato il paesaggio e scoperto un’altra tradizione tipica di questa festa: i Baci, ovvero sono biscotti croccanti e fritti, ripieni di ricotta zuccherata. Una donna che abbiamo incontrato la sera precedente si è offerta di realizzarli per noi… e abbiamo accettato! First, several cups of oil are heated in small pan while the egg-based dough is whisked together quickly in a bowl. The mold is heated with the oil to coat it, dipped gently into the thin batter, and then re-submerged in the oil for under a minute, until the shell is golden brown and pops off easily from the mold. The ricotta cream is made from either cow's milk or goat's milk and is sweetened with confectioners sugar and a bit of lemon juice. When she has used all the batter, she spoons the ricotta between a sandwich of two star-shaped baci shells and sprinkles them with confectioners sugar. The final products are delectable: crunchy, fresh, and light. La crema di ricotta è composta sia da latte vaccino che latte di capra ed è dolcificato con zucchero a velo e un po' di succo di limone. Quando la donna ha usato tutta la pastella, ha messo la ricotta tra due pasticcini ricoprendoli di zucchero a velo. Sono deliziosi: croccanti, freschi e leggeri. After making baci, we traveled inland to the famous Lago di Venere or Lake of Venus to attend a lunch at a nearby house, hosted by a young couple from Pantelleria and Palermo. Even on a stormy day, the lake was mystical and tranquil, fitting its name. The family lives on a small farm and grows vegetables and capers (the most famous product of Pantelleria) near the fresh water lake. The color symmetry of their home, their farm, the stone walls, and the surrounding ecosystem was striking. Even in the depth of winter, with little sun, Pantelleria is vibrant, with dark greens, mustard yellows and golds, and deep grays and blues. Even the household motorcycle and dog complemented the theme! The house was whitewashed white to contrast the black stone of the walls surrounding it. The Panteschi use bright, patterned tiles both inside and outside to provide an accent to the white and blacks of their homes and the effect is marvelous. Dopo aver realizzato i Baci, siamo andati alla scoperta del famoso "Lago di Venere", dove ci attendeva una giovane coppia per pranzare. Nonostante ci fosse una tempesta, il lago sembrava mistico e tranquillo. La famiglia che ci aspettava vive in una piccola fattoria e coltiva verdure e capperi (il prodotto più famoso di Pantelleria). La simmetria del colore tra la loro casa, i muri di pietra e l'ecosistema circostante era impressionante. Anche in pieno inverno, con poco sole, Pantelleria è vibrante, il verde scuro, il giallo senape, il grigio profondo e l’azzurro si uniscono come per magia. La casa è stata pitturata di bianco per contrastare la pietra nera delle mura che lo circondano. I Panteschi utilizzare delle piastrelle con motivi luminosi che riflettono la luce e l'effetto è meraviglioso. We didn't film here, satisfied with simply eating, but I nevertheless took many pictures of the gorgeous food they had prepared for us. There was mounds of Couscous Pantesco, made with capers and spices, served with a tomato-based fish stew. The host made a special version of the dish with rice for me, as I have a gluten intolerance, which was wonderfully kind of her. It was one of the best meals I have had in Sicily, bursting with flavor from the fresh ingredients. As I write this blog post, I am trying to recreate it here in the kitchen at the cooking school. So far, it smells good, but I doubt it will be as magical as the fragrant bowl that I ate on the patio of their house, overlooking Venus's lake. Qui non abbiamo realizzato delle riprese ma ho fatto delle foto del cibo che abbiamo gustato: Cous Pantesco, con capperi e spezie, servito con uno stufato di pesce con una base di pomodoro. La padrona di casa ha fatto una versione speciale del piatto con il riso, dal momento che io ho una intolleranza al glutine. È stato uno dei migliori pranzi che abbia mai mangiato in Sicilia, ricco di sapore, dagli ingredienti freschi. Mentre scrivo questo post del blog, sto cercando di ricrearlo qui a Regaleali, nella Scuola di cucina. Finora, profuma di buono, ma dubito che sarà così magico come la ciotola che ho mangiato sul patio della loro casa, che si affaccia sul lago di Venere. A fried wild mushroom appetizer started the meal, made with mushrooms (gathered from the nearby woods), eggs, and garlic. Wild mushrooms are not easy to come by in mainland Sicily, which tends to be too dry and lacks forests. But Pantelleria has enough moisture from the sea and natural habitat left to allow bountiful funghi in the winter. I was invited to go gather some with an older woman, but we lacked time due to filming constraints. It was one of the first times I have resented the filming (silently of course). They also made wonderful baci for dessert, in a rounded form. Un antipasto di funghi fritti selvatici per iniziare il pasto. Trovare dei funghi selvatici in Sicilia non è semplice, è una terra con pochi boschi e molto secca ma Pantelleria ha abbastanza umidità ed è l'habitat ideale. Mi hanno invitato a raccogliere dei funghi con una donna più anziana, ma non abbiamo avuto abbastanza tempo (questa è stata la prima volta durante il mio viaggio che avrei voluto fermarmi davvero). I cuochi anche hanno realizzato dei meravigliosi baci per dessert, in una forma più arrotondata del solito. The tour of Pantelleria colors continued when Giacomo, Umberto, and I left to go on a tour of the island in the car with Fabrizia's partner, Ganni, as our chauffeur. It pelted down with rain, but we didn't let that halt our adventure. We took the coast road, passing from one small village to another and looking for good vistas for landscape footage, to give this section of the film proper ambiance. Il tour dei colori Panteschi è proseguito con Gianni, il partner di Fabrizia, che ci ha per l’isola, nonostante la pioggia. Abbiamo seguito la strada costiera, passando da un piccolo villaggio in pietra cercando scorci sempre più interessanti. The sea was angry and magnificent. As Giacomo tried to film the crashing waves while simultaneously protecting his camera from the water, I reflected on the lack of fisherman on the island and in that moment, it made perfect sense to me. Pantelleria's seas are deep and often treacherous. If you had the option of farming on fertile soil and venturing out into the strong currents with a small boat, landed work seems like an obvious choice. Il mare sembrava arrabbiato e magnifico insieme. Giacomo ha cercato di filmare le onde proteggendo contemporaneamente la sua fotocamera dall'acqua. Mi ha colpito la mancanza di pescatori : i mari di Pantelleria sono profondi e spesso pericolosi, meglio l’agricoltura, un suolo fertile e rigoglioso anziché avventurarsi tra le forti correnti con una piccola barca. avorare la terra sembra una scelta ovvia. Pantelleria has a large nature reserve, in the highest part of the island. On these cliffs, there exists a rich ecosystem of coastal pines, scrub, and wild flowers. It is a blessing that this section is reserved to protect the native plants and wildlife. Though even in the terraced farmland, people in Pantelleria have been good about encouraging native growth and woodlands. The contrast between the conserved land and the cultivated land is not stark. It suggests to me that the Panteschi are comfortable in their natural landscape, as is evident by this small chapel in the reserve that seems to have grown out of the hill and honor its placement. Pantelleria left a strong impression on me and I hope to return to it soon. Our hope is that it will have a similar effect on our viewers. If the film can translate even 10% of its magic, we will be successful. Pantelleria ha una grande riserva naturale, nella parte alta dell'isola. Su queste scogliere, si mantiene un ecosistema ricco di pini marittimi, macchia Mediterranea e fiori selvatici. È una benedizione che questa zona sia protetta. Tuttavia devo dire che ho riscontrato molto rispetto per la natura, anche da parte dei contadini. Il contrasto tra la terra “protetta” e quella coltivata non è forte. I Panteschi hanno cura delle loro tradizioni come mi suggerisce questa piccola cappella che si trova nella riserva e che sembra onorare la sua posizione. Pantelleria è stata una bellissima esperienza e spero di ritornarvi presto. Mi auguro che anche voi possiate provare questa sensazione leggendo questo post e guardando il nostro filmato. Se il film riuscirà a trasmettere anche solo il 10% della sua magia, sarà un successo. One of the most haunting parts of this festival, San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph) was the story of the towns where we filmed, Poggioreale and Salaparuta. As I mentioned in my last post, both towns, along withe many others in the Belice Valley, were demolished in a terrifying earthquake in 1968. The towns were centuries old, full of beautiful architecture, grand churches, and lots of embedded history. The earthquake came like a flash in the night and killed hundreds of people. People say that the ground opened up in dark chasms and buildings collapsed like dust. But somehow, out of this hellish experience, the communities did not loose faith or hope. Though some people emigrated to Australia, many were so tied to home (or who had no money to leave) they lived in barricks (make-shift, drafty housing) for 14 years while the Italian government twiddled their thumbs about the rebuilding effort. The communities do not adore the avant-garde modern architecture (built in the '70s and '80s) of the new towns, built in different locations, and say they were not consulted with a lot of the decision making. Many would have preferred to rebuilt in the old towns, which now sit in ruins on the hills above the new towns. But the government and building committees insisted. But despite this challenge, the communities live on. And the festival of San Giuseppe, a spring festival of thanksgiving and renewal, speaks to the enduring faith of the community. We went to the ruins of the Poggioreale and Salaparuta to film for ambiance and I was incredibly moved by them. They were a curious mix of tragedy and beauty, decay and grace. Nature, as she is wont to do, moved in when the people were forced to move out. The towns are an interesting study in Sicilian native plants and weeds, as they grow in abundance, in stairways, the narrow streets, open parts of buildings. A lone orange tree had sprung up in what remained of the church courtyard. Salaparuta, including the big cathedral, was raised to the ground and very little remains, but in Poggioreale, buildings are still intact enough to see what life was like in the 1960s in Sicily. Because at that time, this part of Sicily was rural and poor, removed from time, it's like walking into a time capsul. We even found an old fashioned woman's shoe in a windowsill, now full of plants. However, I can't imagine what it would be like as a local to return to these ruins, haunted by memories. After a picnic of local meats and cheeses at the ruins of the Salaparuta cathedral, we headed to a local bakery, where they make the famous bread for the San Giuseppe altars. Fabrizia and Giacomo had already been there to film a few days before, but we stopped by for some more. You simply cannot get enough of watching the baker and his skilled female assistants form this beautifully shaped bread. All over Sicily, they make intricate breads for San Giuseppe Day, but here they are particularly beautiful, filled with wild fennel seed and formed into a variety of shapes for the altars. The baker takes extreme pride in his work and was beaming about his techniques when he recounted them to us. The breads must be made to last several days, so they are dense. They must also be the consistency to hold their form and to become an even, gorgeous golden color on the outside. When you are given a piece of bread at one of the altars, the tradition is never to say "thank you" because it is not a gift from the person handing it to you, but a blessing from God. Despite knowing this, I kept repeatedly slipping and saying, "Grazie" which is the Italian word I say more than any other. It is programmed into my tongue. The next day, Giacomo and I set out to do landscape filming in the area, to capture the blooming spring in Western Sicily. While he filmed the wide vistas, the green of the rolling hills, I used the macro lens and 7d camera to film all the marvelous details that I have grown to love about the Sicilian countryside. The busy bees in the local wildflowers were my favorite subject that day, as they buzzed around for pollen, gathering for the honey that sweetens so many dishes on the San Giuseppe table. The most laughable moment of the day came when I fell into a two-feet-deep vat of mud while climbing into a wheat field. I walked around the rest of the day with muddy feet, provoking quite a few raised eyebrows in the town. We also filmed the local sheep, who provide the famous Sicilian ricotta the fills the cakes, cannoli, and sfince on the altar tables. Sadly, no Sicilian dessert is truly recreatable without this superb creamy cheese. It is so far removed from the bland cow's milk version you can buy in supermarkets. When you bite into a cannolo, the sweetened ricotta transports you to a heavenly sphere for several minutes. I also find that sheep make such superb models for photography, as they always stare directly at the camera. Finally, we went to one of the houses that was housing one of the famous altars (which we will feature next post), where they were making one of the many cakes. This one featured a sponge cake base, covered with homemade peach preserves made the year before, and covered with marzipan (almond paste). The care that goes into all the recipes is lovely. The community take such pride in the beauty of the altars and every edible component of them has to be perfect. At sunset on the evening before the festival day, we filmed an olive grove overlooking the valley. I was truly excited about the next day, which promised to an unforgettable one.
In the afternoon of our first day of filming for Carnevale on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria, we took a short afternoon break after a sumptuous lunch before heading to film a dinner and dancing. This meal, like the first, was communal and large, though it took place in a separate village than where we ate lunch. The home was packed with relatives and neighbors who gathered to make the traditional dishes for the festive night. Dopo il sontuoso pranzo, sapevamo che ci aspettava una cena altrettanto interessante e una serata danzante. La casa che ci ha accolto era gremita di gente, di parenti e vicini che si sono riuniti per preparare i piatti tradizionali di questa notte di festa. For the purposes of comparison, we wanted to film another household making mustaccioli, the intricately carved cookies made on the island for the winter festival. The process for making them is described in detail in our last blog post. To summarize, they are local cookies made with a couscous, citrus, wine, and honey filling. The standard shape for the cookie is a rounded loop with geometric designs, but there are a wide variety of other shapes that the Panteschi create to make the cookies works of art. As you can see above, one woman meticulously crafted fish and flowers shapes, while her mother sat beside her making the traditional round and curling leaf shapes. Both worked in amiable silence, focusing on their handiwork. Per confrontare le diverse modalità di realizzazione, abbiamo filmato un’altra famiglia, un’altra come dire, scuola, mentre realizzava i mustaccioli. Il processo è descritto nel dettaglio nel nostro ultimo post del blog (per riassumere possiamo dire che è un biscotto locale a base di couscous, agrumi, vino e miele). La forma più diffusa è un anello arrotondato con disegni geometrici, ma i Panteschi realizzano anche altre immagini trasformando questo biscotto in un’opera d'arte. Per esempio, una ragazza lavorava l’impasto facendogli assumere la forma del pesce o di alcuni fiori , mentre sua mamma si è seduta accanto a lei realizzando delle foglie. Entrambe lavoravano in silenzio, concentrate. Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, two young women made two other sweets for the evening: cassata pantesca and ravioli dolci. The first is named after the famous Sicilian cake, Cassata, though the Pantelleria version is quite different in form. The mainland version is made with sponge cake and ricotta cream and a pistachio marzipan covering. The Pantesca form is much simpler and smaller. Small pies are made with the pastry dough, filled with sweetened ricotta (cow's milk or goat's milk), and then covered with a pastry top decorated with rosettes. The other dish, with similar ingredients, is sweet ravioli made and boiled like any other ravioli but filled with sweet ricotta and cinnamon. Nel frattempo, dall'altra parte della tavola, due giovani donne hanno realizzato altri due dolci : cassata pantesca e ravioli dolci. Il primo prende il nome della famosa torta siciliana, La Cassata, anche se la versione Pantelleria è molto diversa soprattutto nella forma. La versione siciliana è realizzata con pan di spagna, crema di ricotta e una copertura di marzapane al pistacchio. La Pantesca è molto più semplice e più piccola ed è ricoperta da una pasta decorata a forma di rose. Ancora, abbiamo visto preparare i ravioli dolci, bolliti come i ravioli normali, ma pieni di ricotta dolce e cannella. After dinner and plenty of desserts, we headed to the Carnevale dancing, the highlight of the holiday for many on the island. Because bars and clubs are not common on Pantelleria, especially during winter off-season, Carnevale dancing offers a time of communal partying and revelry. Each village has a small dance hall which they decorate for Carnevale. People of all ages come out to dance all night long. From 11pm-2am, we went to three different village dance halls to get the full experience. Dopo cena e diversi dolci dopo, abbiamo preso parte ad un altro momento clou della festa: la danza. Un momento ricreativo divertente, uno dei pochi svaghi durante l’inverno. Ogni villaggio di Pantelleria ha una piccola sala da ballo che durante Carnevale decora a festa e noi abbiamo girato per ben tre paesi per raccontare la loro danza. Carnevale is far from "wild and crazy" on the island, but it certainly is festive. Other places in Sicily, like Acireale near Mt. Etna, have a festival more similar to Carnival in Venice and Brazil or to a New Orleans Mardi Gras. Pantelleria's way of celebrating is more wholesome and is open to people of all ages. (That said, the shots of potent homemade wine do flow freely from the makeshift bars). The famous masks are for decor rather than for disguise. Dress is more or less casual. But nonetheless, people put their heart into the occasion. The dances are traditional yet lively and are accompanied by local bands that play Italian-style polkas, with a guitar, drums, accordion, and singers. As I'm swept onto the dance floor, the unfamiliar, rapid steps remind me of being in Latin America or the Caribbean. Carnevale è tutt'altro che "pazzo e selvaggio", ma è certamente festoso. In altre località come Acireale (vicino al monte Etna), c’è una tradizione più simile a quella di Venezia, Brasile o New Orleans. Il modo di vivere questa festa a Pantelleria è un po’ più aperto a tutti, anche agli anziani anche se i bicchieri di un buon vino fatto in casa scorrevano in tanti bar di fortuna. Le maschere sono importanti mentre il vestito non è necessario che sia abbinato. La gente mette il cuore nell'occasione. Le danze tradizionali sono ancora vivaci e sono accompagnati da band locali che suonano polka in stile italiano, con una chitarra, tamburi, fisarmonica e cantanti. Come sto travolto sulla pista da ballo, i passi rapidi, sconosciuti mi ricordano di essere in America Latina o nei Caraibi. In these dance halls, the communal ties are most evident, as everyone greets each other warmly and gregariously. While, as in most parts of the world, there is a gender divide among the teenagers on the sidelines, on the dance floor, age and gender seem to play only a small role. I smile as I watch two young girls flit across the dance floor with each other. Then I turn to admire one regal old man as he gracefully leads a teenage girl in perfect rhythm. One of the expert dancers at the first hall tells us he is so passionate about the style of dance in Pantelleria that he flies to Rome to meet up with others of Pantesco descent to honor the dancing from the island. I'm surprised these dances don't persist all year long, but I am told that they are a special treat for the two-month period of Carnevale--something to look forward to you all year long.
Mentre balliamo si percepisce l’affetto degli abitanti di Pantelleria. E mi ha colpito notare una perfetta sincronia tra giovani e anziani (nel resto del mondo queste due realtà tendono a non unirsi). Sorrido guardando due giovani ragazze che svolazzano sulla pista da ballo a fianco di un anziano, con l’aria regale, che balla con grazia ed eleganza con una ragazza. Ci raccontano che questo signore è un appassionato di danza che spesso vola a Roma per partecipare ad incontri danzanti e spiegare questi balli tipici. Mi sorprende che queste danze non vengano, come dire, praticate, per tutto l'anno: sono un regalo speciale che gli abitanti di Pantelleria mettono in piedi solo per Carnevale. To film Carnevale (Italian Mardi Gras), we decided to splurge and fly the team to the island of Pantelleria, to show viewers the unique culture of the remote Sicilian island. Pantelleria is actually closer to Tunisia, than it is to mainland Sicily, and the North African and Arabic influence on the cuisine of the island (and the dialect) is strong. The name comes from the original Arabic name for the island, بنتالرياح Bint al-Riyāḥ 'the daughter of the winds.’ Those strong winds, so common to the island, made it quite an adventure to get to Pantelleria from Palermo, as our plane couldn't land on the first try and was canceled on the second. But the third try was the charm and we got there safely, if a day late, on January 31st. Per filmare il Carnevale, abbiamo deciso andare a Pantelleria, un’isola nell’isola . La sua cucina è più vicina alla Tunisia e all'influenza nord africana e araba e anche il dialetto ne risente. Il nome deriva dall’arabo بنتالرياح Bint al-Riyah 'la figlia dei venti.' Quei venti forti, così comuni per l'isola, trasformavano in un’avventura l’attracco . Anche il nostro volo è stato spostato e anche se con un giorno di ritardo, il 31 gennaio, siamo arrivati. Our guide of the island was Father Vito, a Catholic priest who is a dear friend of Costanza, the manager of the cooking school (and Fabrizia's younger cousin). He was born on the island and though he is a professor of theology in Palermo, spends a great deal of time on the island, helping pastor the numerous small churches. The island only has about 8,000 inhabitants (though that number swells in the summer with tourists). Needless to say, Vito knows almost everyone. He planned us a non-stop itinerary of filming for two days and told us before we arrived that the island was whole island was excited we were coming (perhaps a slight exaggeration, if a flattering one). Though, indeed, the energy of our first filming session at a large lunch gathering showed how advantageous it is to have a local arrange filming. For the lunch, we traveled by car up toward the highest village in Pantelleria to a traditional stone house built in the Pantesco style (referring to the island), with volcanic rock, a sloped roof for catching precious rainwater, and white interiors with wonderful alcoves. When we entered the kitchen, a half dozen women were already hard at work making mustaccioli, which are a holiday cookie unique to Pantelleria and prized at Carnevale. La nostra guida dell'isola è stata Padre Vito, un prete cattolico, caro amico di Costanza la giovane cugina di Fabrizia coinvolta nella Scuola di cucina. Originario dell’isola e docente di teologia a Palermo. L'isola ha solo circa 8.000 abitanti (anche se questo numero aumenta vertiginosamente durante l'estate grazie ai turisti). Ovviamente, Vito conosce quasi tutti. Così ha organizzato un itinerario serrato, senza sosta, per due giorni. L’intera isola ha condiviso con noi il progetto. Incredibile l’aiuto che abbiamo ricevuto dal nostro contatto locale. Per il pranzo abbiamo raggiunto il punto più alto dell’isola una casa di pietra costruita in stile Pantesco, con roccia vulcanica, un tetto inclinato che serve per catturare l'acqua piovana, e gli interni bianchi con meravigliose nicchie . Quando siamo entrati in cucina, una mezza dozzina di donne erano già al lavoro per impastare i mustaccioli, biscotti tipici di questo periodo. Making mustaccioli is a laborious task--a labor of love--but I found that in Pantelleria, many hands seemed to make the process creative, relational, and light work. The cookies are made with a unique ingredient: couscous (or granular semolina, commonly eaten on the island and an example of North African influence). The couscous is mixed with local honey, lemon and orange peel from the citrus trees on the island (also brought by the Arabs), sweet white wine made on the island, local lard, cinnamon, sesame and chopped almonds. This filling is rolled between a layer of pastry dough (flour, lard, and sugar). I tend to think of lard as more representative of my Southern American grandmother's kitchen than an Italian kitchen, but here on the island, using pig fat or olive oil is preferred over churning butter. Realizzare i mustaccioli è un compito laborioso, che esprime tutto l’amore di questa terra. I biscotti sono fatti con un ingrediente unico: couscous (semola granulare, molto diffuso sull'isola, un esempio d’influenza nordafricana). Il couscous è mescolato con miele locale, limone e buccia d'arancia (anche questo agrume è stato importato dagli arabi), vino bianco dolce, lardo cannella, sesamo e mandorle tritate. Questo impasto viene arrotolato con uno strato di pasta (farina, strutto e zucchero). Il lardo mi ricorda la cucina di mia nonna, tipicamente americana più che quella italiana . The tubes of filling and dough are pinched into loops and then painstakingly carved into intricate shapes and designs with a variety of tools--scissors, small blades, and wooden sticks. The women worked in a quick assembly line, with those in the kitchen blending the dough and filling and rolling it, and then passing it along to a team sitting around a kitchen table, who were calmly working on the creative designs. I enjoyed observing the different styles of each woman. The forms are passed down for generations, though sometimes new ones are added by entrepreneurial family members. Adding colorful sprinkles to the top must be a modern addition, but gives the cookies added sparkle. Le donne lavoravano come una catena di montaggio mescolando la pasta e il ripieno, rotolando l’impasto per poi passarlo alla squadra seduta attorno al tavolo da cucina, che stava tranquillamente lavorando sul “progetto creativo” di questo dolce. Interessante osservare i diversi stili di ogni donna. Le forme vengono tramandate da generazioni . Un po’ di colore è una deriva moderna. Carnevale is a community-oriented holiday in Pantelleria, and provides entertainment in the winter months, when the island is windy, cold, and devoid of tourists. The small villages on the island are very close-knit and meals are often communal. The lunch we were invited to included family member and neighbors and everyone, man or woman, seemed to lend a hand making the elaborate feast. Some gathered the vegetables from the garden, others the wild mushrooms from the nearby woods, while several cooked in the kitchen. During the entire afternoon, I was struck by how many "slow food" techniques come naturally in Pantelleria, where local agriculture is still a necessity due to its isolation and where slow-paced, patient food preparation fits the sleepy rhythm of the island that is so far away from the hectic modern world. Carnevale è una festa della comunità e nell’isola di Pantelleria diventa un motivo di svago, un intrattenimento durante l’inverno, quando l'isola è ventosa, fredda e senza turisti. I piccoli villaggi dell'isola sono molto uniti e spesso durante questa festa si tende a condividere anche i pasti. Abbiamo partecipato ad un pranzo che ha incluso i familiari e i vicini di casa e proprio tutti davano una mano. Alcuni hanno raccolto le verdure dal giardino, altri i funghi selvatici provenienti dai boschi vicini, altri ancora si sono dedicati alla cucina. Durante tutto il pomeriggio, sono rimasto colpito da quanti presidi Slow Food provengano da Pantelleria, dove l'agricoltura locale è ancora una necessità a causa del suo isolamento. La paziente preparazione del cibo ricalca il ritmo sonnolento dell’ isola, così lontano dal mondo frenetico e moderno. One of the most dynamic part of the preparation happened in the room next to the kitchen, where a long table was laid out for fresh pasta and ravioli preparation. For this Carnevale meal, the ravioli on the menu was one filled with local cow's milk ricotta and fresh mint. (Most of mainland Sicily makes sheep's milk cheeses, but Pantelleria prefers raising cows. Father Vito told us, grinning, that he knows of only two sheep on the whole of the island). The dough was made by an older man, who mixed it without a bowl on the wooden table, kneading the giant mountain of flour, eggs, oil, and water. Then, another man ran the dough through the pasta press, while several women cut the ravioli and filled it with herbed ricotta. Then, using the same dough, the process shifted to creating tagliatelle, or long fresh pasta, which is cut and dusted with semolina flour. La parte più dinamica della preparazione è accaduta nella stanza accanto alla cucina, dove è stata posta una lunga tavola per la pasta fresca e i ravioli. Per Carnevale, i ravioli vengono riempiti con ricotta di vaccina e menta fresca. In Sicilia solitamente si usa la ricotta di pecora ( Padre Vito ci ha raccontato, sorridendo, che conosce solo due pecore su tutta l'isola). La pasta è stata fatta da un uomo più anziano, che ha impastato una montagna gigantesca di farina, uova, olio e acqua. Poi, un altro uomo distendeva l'impasto attraverso, mentre diverse donne tagliavano i ravioli e aggiungevano il ripieno. Quindi, utilizzando la stessa pasta, sono state realizzate anche le tagliatelle, una lunga pasta fresca, spolverata con farina di semola. At the same time, in the kitchen, another group made squid stuffed with herbed couscous and prepared a plate of fresh tuma, a creamy, cow's milk farmer's cheese. In a second, smaller kitchen, a woman made a pork stew with chickpeas, peppers, and wild fennel. As we filmed, the small house grew more and more crowded until it was at full capacity with 20 people, all of whom were taking part in lunch preparation in some way. Giacomo and I bounced around in the crowded rooms with the Canon 5d and 7d cameras, the tripods, and backpack of lenses, trying to multitask and catch every step of every dish. By the time food was served, I was both ravenous and exhausted, torn between the need to eat and the need to take a nap. Nel frattempo, in cucina, un altro gruppo cucinava i calamari ripieni con erbe e cous cous e preparava un piatto di tuma fresca (un cremoso formaggio di latte di mucca). In una seconda, piccola cucina, una donna ha cucinato uno spezzatino di maiale con ceci, peperoni e finocchietto selvatico. Ben presto la piccola casa ha accolto quasi venti persone. Giacomo ed io andavamo in giro per le stanze affollate con la 5D e la 7D Canon, le telecamere, i treppiedi, cercando di fare più cose contemporaneamente e di cogliere ogni processo di ogni piatto. Ero affamata ed esausta, combattuta tra il bisogno di mangiare e la necessità di fare un pisolino. After lunch, the yearning for a quiet break won out, and I slipped away to the garden, looking out upon the captivating landscapes of the island, with its black rocks and sage green vegetation. Pantelleria reminds me of a Mediterranean version of Tolkien's shire, with its friendly, grounded residents and quaint, agrarian communities. The houses are tucked into the hills, as if they are an organic expression of the land itself. Two of the men gave us a full orientation of the island through pointing in various directions and describing the characters of the different villages. Dopo il pranzo, sconfitto il desiderio di una pausa, ho fatto una passeggiata in giardino: i paesaggi sono molto affascinanti, con le sue rocce nere e la salvia verde della vegetazione Pantelleria mi ricorda una versione mediterranea di Shire di Tolkien, con i suoi abitanti amichevoli e le comunità agrarie pittoresche. Le case sono nascosto tra le colline, come se fossero l'espressione organica della terra stessa. The generosity of this group of Panteschi was enormous. They welcomed us into their lives for the afternoon and shared their Carnevale traditions with us enthusiastically. We are very grateful to them, and all the people in Pantelleria who helped make this filming session one of our best.
La generosità di questo gruppo di Panteschi è stata enorme. Ci hanno accolto nelle loro vite e hanno condiviso con noi le loro tradizioni di Carnevale. Hanno contribuito a rendere questa sessione di riprese una delle nostre esperienze migliori. Gli siamo molto riconoscenti. |
ABOUT USThis film project is produced by the Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School in the heart of Sicily. We hope to chronicle the many saint festivals in Sicily and how they support slow food cultures on the island. We anticipate that it will hit film festivals and be available for sale in 2015. This website and blog are to chronicle our progress for our financial supporters, followers, and friends. ARCHIVES
December 2014
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