Following its resounding success last year, the newly formed Victorian Italian-Australian Tertiary Association (VITA) is gearing up for its first event of 2018, to be held on Friday, March 9 at Co.As.It.'s Museo Italiano.
Organised and hosted in collaboration with Musa International, the event will give tertiary students the opportunity to explore the best gems of Italian music and cinema through a multimedia experience.
Titled ‘Once Upon A Time In Italy: Audio-visual experience through the sounds of Cinecittà’, the evening will embody a passionate 50-minute ode to Italian films and soundtracks from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, exposing students to the likes of Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini.
Expect to be transported through time to “La Dolce Vita” as you sip and sample your way through a gourmet Italian-style aperitivo.
Throughout the night, the Musa Cinematic Band will take you back to a time when espresso and Martini were two separate things.
The live music will alternate with projected fragments of classic Italian cinema, while behind-the-scenes narratives will be presented by Italian musician and the project’s creator, Nanni Calandro, and homegrown MC Jessica Scata.
Special guests will include art director of the Lavazza Italian Film Festival, Elysia Zeccola, and manager of Co.As.It., Ferdinando Colarossi.
President of VITA, Joseph Xuereb, explained that the event was inspired by a film screening he attended in which the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performed the soundtrack live.
“It’s more of an advanced cultural event which feeds into our long-term goal of making VITA not only a social association, but one which celebrates the cultural richness of Italy through films, books and art,” he added.
That said, VITA aims to steer clear of the structure of longstanding Italian clubs and their social events.
“We’re trying to encourage a contemporary understanding of Italy; not so much a sit-down dinner that you might see at some of the older clubs, but more of a highly social event where people can move around and interact.”
Mr Xuereb hopes the event will connect people who share an Italian background and inform them of their heritage and the cultural influences which play a part in shaping their identities.
“This is not just a standard ball or boat cruise for university students,” he said.
“It’s about realising that celebrating our heritage can be an educational experience in which we can learn about ourselves and our ancestors.”
This event is for tertiary students only and tickets can be purchased at the door upon presentation of a tertiary student identification card. Tickets are limited. Follow the link to RSVP now.
