ABOUT

Adriano Valentini, a young Canadian filmmaker working in Hollywood puts his skills to the test in this adventurous series. Working as a one-man crew (enlisting the help of only his family members), Adriano sets out to uncover the secrets of his Italian ancestry. From exploring ancient cheese making traditions to discovering an old mountaintop previously occupied by refugees in WWII, he explores the small Italian towns that are off the beaten path and speaks to locals just a few towns over about what makes their traditions and history unique.

GENRE: Lifestyle Travel Micro-Series
LENGTH: 6 x (5 min – 8 min)
LANGUAGE: English

WATCH THE TRAILER

EPISODES

EPISODE 1: BAR CULTURE

In this episode, Adriano examines the cultural differences between a bar in Italy and a bar in Canada. By speaking to Italians of all ages, Adriano discovers the importance of the bar in the lives of Italians, and how most people visit a bar two, three or even four times a day!

EPISODE 2: A DREAM OF CHEESE

In the small town of Bojano in the region of Molise, Adriano visits the “cheese house” of Marco Romano, a young artisanal cheese maker. Marco shows Adriano some of the ancient cheese making methods that have been passed down in Molise, methods that Adriano’s grandfather still follows when making cheese in Hamilton, Ontario. Marco discusses why keeping these traditions alive is important to him and should be important to all Italians.

EPISODE 3: THE CITY OF SAMNITES

Sepino – an old Roman town located just a few kilometers from where Adriano’s grandfather, aunts and uncles were born. Adriano tours the town and discovers that it was built after the Romans conquered an ancient people known as the Samnites. To learn more, Adriano travels to the Museum of the Samnites in Campobasso – Molise’s capital – to speak with an archeologist about the history of the area and the ancient people that he may very well be a descendent of.

EPISODE 4: LIFE BEFORE PLASTIC

Adriano and his family travel to Le Marche, the beautiful region of Italy where his grandfather on his dad’s side was born. Adriano’s aunt takes the family to a small pottery workshop, founded by Daniele Giombi, a potter by trade. Daniele demonstrates the old methods he uses to make pots, vases and an assortment of other objects out of clay extracted from the local earth.

EPISODE 5

Accompanied by his brother and cousin, Adriano hikes up a large mountain in the little known Molise region of Italy. The trails on this mountain are significant because it’s where Adriano’s grandfather used to take flocks of sheep for days and even weeks at a time. Up on the mountain they find an old church and refuge. The local caretakers of the trails and refuge give them a tour, explaining how the area was used for locals to hide when the region was bombed during World War II.

EPISODE 6: AUGUST IN ITALY

Adriano visits his grandfather’s hometown, Bojano, during the month of August. During this time, the small quiet town transforms into a party city, popping with young people and tourists who come each year to partake in festivals, feast days, scavenger hunts and other old traditions.

GALLERY