The stories of Italians in New York, the value of memory and the strength of creativity were at the center of the evening of October 23 at the Rizzoli Bookstore in Manhattan, where the COMITES in New York presented the graphic novel Butterflies in the Brownstone: The Italian Souls of New York and unveiled the trailer of the documentary dedicated to his behind the scenes.
The meeting, organized and moderated by Ornella Fado, Vice President of the COMITES of New York and President of the Communication and Events Commission, brought together some of the protagonists of the work to tell an artistic path that interweaves contemporary history, identity and visual languages. The initiative represents a new stage of the project started in 2022 thanks to the financing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
The graphic novel tells, through a language that can involve the new generations, the experiences and the many identities of the Italian and Italian community in New York. The work carries the signature of Anna Teresa Cascio, Italian-American author and screenwriter winner of Emmy Awards, and Riccardo Costa, co-author and project manager at his original stage. Giulia Grincia and Marco Gallotta contributed to the visual realization of the work through distinct artistic roles.
During the evening, moderated by Ornella Fado, Anna Teresa Cascio, Marco Gallotta and Prof. Elisabetta Sanino D’Amanda, Italian teacher at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Cascio told the motivations and narrative choices at the base of the book, while Gallotta deepened the artistic process and collaboration with illustrator Giulia Grincia, present through a video contribution.
Particularly significant is the intervention of Prof. Sanino D’Amanda, who contributed to the translation of the work and brought some pages to the university, transforming them into moments of theatrical representation with students. An experience that shows how the book can become a teaching and creative tool. The testimonies of the protagonists and this university experience will also be part of the documentary Behind the Scenes.
One of the most significant moments of the evening was the screening of the official trailer of Behind the Scenes: Butterflies in the Brownstone – The Italian Souls of New York, accompanied by the announcement of the documentary.
The initiative was born from an idea by Ornella Fado, the conductor and producer of the award-winning television program Briniamo!, aired in New York since 2005. Fado conceived and coordinated the documentary, curating its creative direction, script, interviews and narrative.
Claudio Napoli, winner of the David di Donatello for the Best Visual Special Effects, responsible for directing and editing; Marta Corradi, for audiovisual shooting in New York; and Edoardo Fermin, for photography. The documentary keeps the testimonies of the protagonists and tells the talent, collaborations and artistic choices behind the creation of the work.
Butterflies in the Brownstone is a concrete example of the importance of funding for the promotion of Italian culture abroad. The support of MAECI has allowed COMITES in New York to promote an initiative capable of combining different artistic and professional skills. The production of the documentary and the event at Rizzoli give continuity to the initial cultural investment, expanding its diffusion and opportunities for meeting with the community.
“When I resumed this project, I thought it was important to offer him a new opportunity to be told and shared. A book is the result of a much more complex path, made of ideas, meetings, collaborations and creative choices. With the documentary I wanted to bring the audience behind those pages, to know the people and the work that often remain invisible.
I felt equally important to organize a public presentation at Rizzoli, a place symbol of culture in New York, to enhance the work and give space to its protagonists. I believe that our commitment to COMITES must be translated into concrete initiatives, capable of leaving something to the community. When public resources are invested in a cultural project, we also have the responsibility to enhance their results and make them accessible to an increasingly vast audience.
I thank the MAECI, the COMITES of New York, all the artists and professionals involved and the Rizzoli Bookstore for having accepted this initiative”.
Le radici italiane come patrimonio per le nuove generazioni
In a city deeply marked by the contribution of generations of Italian immigrants, telling these stories means recognizing a fundamental part of the cultural identity of New York. The choice of contemporary languages, from graphic novels to documentary cinema, offers new possibilities to bring young people closer to a living heritage, which continues to evolve.
The evening of 23 October represented a meeting between memory and creativity, institutions and communities: keeping the roots does not mean stopping at the past, but finding new ways to tell them to the future.
L’articolo <i>Butteres in the Brownstone</i> alla Rizzoli di New York proviene da IlNewyorkese.
