After World War II, hundreds of thousands of Italians left their homeland in search of a better life in Australia. They found it. But they also made Australian life even better.

In the many years since, their centuries-old food and wine traditions have become woven into the cultural fabric of Australia in a way that is truly inextricable. But as we lose those first-generation migrants, we risk losing their legacy, too.

 

This documentary, Fatto a Mano (“made by hand”), will be an evocative time capsule of Italian culture in Australia, immortalising parts of it on film – before they’re lost forever.

It will follow South Australian winemaker Vic Carpinelli, and a group of his Italian-Australian counterparts, in the lead-up to the annual Lions Club of Adelaide Amateur Winemaker’s Festival. It will take you inside their lives, families and back sheds to capture what winemaking means to them. But wine is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Capturing their cheeky camaraderie, connection to where they’re from and the magic of creating something with your bare hands, the film will archive what’s left of these extraordinary everyday stories – and keep the culture alive for generations to come.

Behind this not-for-profit documentary is Pizzateca. Oztalia and One Sneaky Cheetah co-owner Tony Mitolo and renowned Cinematographer Aaron Gully.

 

Aaron is an Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) accredited Director of Photography whose experience encompasses a myriad of fields, including cinema and television drama, TV and cinema documentaries, commercials, music videos and corporate content.

His work has taken him all over the world and has included a diverse tapestry of production, working with the likes of Sir David Attenborough, Berbers of the Sahara, Masai Warriors, world Presidents and Parisian fashion designers, to name a few.