On February 17th, at the O Cinema in Miami Beach, the Italian Cultural Institute in Miami will present the docufilm My FlorÌta, a 60-minute work set in Palm Beach, in the heart of South Florida, a region that hosts a thriving Italian American community.
The movie, created by Vincenza Iadevaia, Ph.D. in Comparative Studies from Florida Atlantic University (FAU), written with Manuela Filomena, is directed by Manuela Filomena herself. It explores the experiences of Italians who chose to relocate to this part of the world, with a particular focus on those who have recently settled in Florida, seeking to understand how integration with the new environment influences identities and traditions.
The screenplay unfolds along two main narrative lines. The first is based on a series of interviews enriched by 2D animations. The second follows a poetic storyline centered around Alpha, an enigmatic young man who symbolizes the future of Florida. Alpha drives a timeless red car, used as a tool to symbolically gather the pieces of a puzzle, representing the journey of adaptation for newcomers to the “New-New Land” of South Florida.
Through cinematic storytelling, the filmmakers highlight the similarities between South Florida and Southern Italy, both in terms of climate and landscape. These resemblances evoke a sense of nostalgia, a feeling of longing that drives the “expats” to explore their cultural roots and rediscover the family traditions that preceded them.
Free entrance. RSVP is required: iicmiami.segreteria@esteri.it