Il mondo è troppo per me: La storia di Vittorio Camardese (2023), 63 minutes
Vania Cauzillo, dir.
This film tells the story of Vittorio Camardese, a guitarist from Basilicata, who presaged techniques of both jazz and rock music. He played with jazz greats in Rome; so, how is it that he didn’t record even a single note? Why did American trumpeter Chet Baker live in his house for more than a year? And, above all, how has he remained in the shadows when he might have become a significant figure in musical history? Camardese’s story covers forty years, from the postwar to the era of la dolce vita, from 1970s TV shows to the 1980s pop explosion, leading up to the new millennium. Director Vania Cauzillo’s film has much to say about music, the responsibilities that come with talent, and the fear of success. In Italian with English subtitles.
In conjunction with the exhibition BASILICATË: A Celebration of Lucanian Culture in the World
Post-screening discussion led by Joseph Sciorra, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute.
In April 2025 the Calandra Institute will mount an exhibit on the artistry of World War II Italian POWs in the United States. The exhibit will feature handcrafted objects, paintings, photographs, letters, newspapers, and other artifacts documenting creativity under captivity. During the war more than 51,000 Italian military personnel were held throughout the country, from Massachusetts to Hawaii. The curators, Laura E. Ruberto (Berkeley City College) and Joseph Sciorra (Calandra Institute), are looking for items, especially crafts and artwork, for possible inclusion in the exhibit. While the exhibit will focus on the United States, objects from other parts of the world concerning Italian POWs are also of interest. Such artwork may have been made while in a POW camp or after the war as a reflection of wartime captivity and experience. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute (Queens College, CUNY), the Australian Research Council, and the Mellon/ACLS Community College Faculty Fellowships.