Padula (Italy) |
The working title of the movie is Padula-New York- Pittsburgh: Emigrazione Sangue Speranza (Padula-New York-Pittsburgh : Emigration Blood and Hope) and the subtitle is La storia di Joe Petrosino e del suo migliore amico Giovanni Esposito (The story of Joe Petrosino and his best friend Giovanni).
Luca Guardabascio, Pino D'aloia (actor) and Francesco Giubilei |
Giovanni, who is the first one to migrate to the United States, embarks in a long trip to Ellis Island, also called the island of hope, with this simple promise from Joe: "We will meet you there."
In the United States, he survives through illegal means whereas Joe becomes a New York City police officer and a pioneer in the fight against organized crime.
Nino Melito Petrosino in Joe Petrosino Museum |
The movie will mainly focus on the true story of Petrosino and will tell the amazing story of migration from 1860 to 1980.
It will also cover the Italian unification and the earthquake that hit the south of Italy (Irpinia) on Nov. 23, 1980 when a very old Giovanni Esposito comes back to Padula after years of building his life in the United States.
"It will be an important movie about the good Italian emigration in the world that produce true hero like Joe Petrosino a man who fight all his life against the Mafia," Guardabascio quoted.
The movie will also show non-fictional personalities like singer Enrico Caruso and former US president, Theodore Roosevelt.
Luca Guardabascio in Pittsburgh |
Guardabascio, along with the producers of Coimar S. P. A (Caputo, Cancellaro, Giobbe, LaManna), decided to film most of the movie in Padula as a way to pay tribute to this important and historical little village and the culture of the Italian people.
"The Casa Museo Joe Petrosino is a very important museum that you have to visit once in your lifetime because it is an example of memories against all the Mafias. The house was the original house where Petrosino was born and lived until 12 years old and where he cames back before being killed in Palermo (Sicily)."
Luca Guardabascio and Joe D'Andrea |
Guardabascio also wants to shoot parts of the movie in Pittsburgh, where he was a Rooney Scholar at Robert Morris University in 2011.
"Part of my heart is there," confessed Guardabascio. "The people are nice, and I work with them on many projects, which was great."
"There are professors and filmmakers like Michael Di Lauro who helped me grow in my career. I love Professor Joe D’Andrea, the one who gave me suggestions with his emigration story to write this story."
Luca Guardabascio in Pittsburgh |
He described the RMU president, Greg Dell'Omo as a "super nice friend who loves Italy and who is another good example of the wonderful things Italian American people do in the United States."
"I would also like to collaborate with American artist like George Nista and teachers like Paola Basile, Ida Mansourian and Viviana Altieri of Mondo Italiano, people who can give me more input to film my movie."
"But one of my best friend and part of my crew is Lisa Nutt, a very strong woman who will be translating my book in English and Spanish and who will be the best production assistant on set I've ever had in my life."
His goal is to go back to RMU next fall, give lectures on the topic, show his next documentary and try to organize the movie in the best way with the people he considered his best friend.
He is currently working on the screenplay along with Stefano Stanzione and Giovanni Cancellaro. Luigi Spagnol, the "maestro," is supervising the project. They are currently holding a contest and looking for a female writer who can collaborate and give the screenplay the right touch it needs.
Guardabascio mentioned that the book will be ready in a couple of months. In addition, in the upcoming weeks, he will be a guess at Cancellaro's hotel, Villa Cosilinum, which has a great view of Padula. This will help foster his imagination for the movie.
All photos are provided by Luca Guardabascio |
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