Memoria Pugliese in Australia
I have been comissioned by the Pugliese Association of Australia to document the project "Memoria Pugliese in Australia". I will shoot a series of short videos to show in Italy how their migrants live in Melbourne, keeping alive (or not) the traditions. These short videos will include some 'portaits' of migrants of different generations, talking of their stories, dreams and difficulties in the new place.
A week ago with the help of my collegue Matias Isolabella, we filmed in one of the oldest Pugliese Clubs: The San Marco in Lamis Social Club. We learned that the community from this particular small town of the province of Foggia is very big in Melbourne, perhaps the biggest Pugliese settlement in Victoria. They often repeated that there are more sammarchesi in Melbourne than in Italy. It might be true, because in my first two years in Australia almost every pugliese I met has relatives in this small village! I edited a very short video of traditional pasta and sauce making. Once a month the pensioners have a special lunch. The ladies put their heart and soul into the preparation of the meal, sharing with their friends the flavours of the homeland. Here it is.