Synopsis
Avoiding the trap of nostalgia, Paul Tana paints an endearing and nuanced portrait of Montreal’s Italian community using archival documents, fiction, testimonies, and extracts from a theatrical creation. From the first waves of immigration at the beginning of the century to the concert of the young rocker Aldo Nova, the film highlights, sometimes with humour, the contradictions of Italians in this context, deeply divided between attachment to their homeland and the need for full acceptance by Quebec society.
A word from Tënk
Caffè Italia, Montréal by Paul Tana marks an important milestone in the history of Quebec cinema with its original, inventive, and sensitive treatment of the Italian migrant experience in Montreal during the last century. It provides an insider's perspective on a community that has played a crucial role in the economic, societal, and cultural development of the city. More than forty years after its filming, the movie still resonates as strongly as ever, echoing the reflections arising from any process of immigration and welcoming newcomers, addressing issues such as integration, ghettoization, and language learning, as well as intergenerational identity questions.
The film's setting in a small café on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, in the heart of Little Italy, highlights this vibrant microcosm that took root 6,000 kilometers from il bel paese. Serving as a tribute, a history lesson, and a collective biography, Caffè Italia, Montréal avoids the trap of sterile didacticism by prioritizing oral history and the hybridity of the form. Skillfully blending live testimonies, archival documents, re-enactments, and excerpts from a play, the film is full of creativity and sincerity, offering a rich and nuanced representation of the Italian community based in Montreal.
Jason Burnham
Tënk editorial manager
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