Displaying items by tag: Tina Arena

SIGNORINELLA: LITTLE MISS

Australia, 2025, 86 minutes, Colour.

Greta Scacchi, Celestina Mammone, Mary Marino, Cathy Harris, Allegra Spender, Carla Zampatti, Franca Arena, Tina Arena 

Directed by Angelo Pricolo, Jason McFadyen, Shannon Swan

A very interesting and entertaining documentary.

While Australia has the oldest inhabitants in the world, its indigenous people, since 1788, Australian history has been of migration, interactions with the indigenous, prejudice and frequent violence, succeeding generations, initially from Britain, Ireland, and the Chinese at the goldfields, Jewish migrants from Europe, and then success of migration from European countries over decades, then migrants from Asia, like the Vietnamese, and, in the 21^st-century, migrants from troubled countries in Asia and Africa. And, a feature of the success of migration is was that each was greeted with some kind of initial scepticism, hostility, name-calling, shunning, but an eventual acceptance.

Which is the background to the story of Italian migrants from the 1930s and, especially, the aftermath of World War II. And even more particular focus is that of the migration of Italian women.

The producers have gathered a group of genial and articulate women, some in their late 80s, and from a range of ages, some of the women actual migrants when they were children, others the next generation. In the documentary is narrated by Greta Scacchi, International actress, Italian/Australian background.

Of course, while the documentary is for all audiences, it will have a very strong appeal to a women’s audience. It is a pleasure, sometimes humorous, sometimes very serious, to listen to the stories, of young girls working on farms, young women pregnant driving tractors, gathering hay, working in the canefields…

And all enjoying the Italian traditions, memories of the homeland and traditions, issues of language, the vast distances from Italy to Australia, the period of arranged marriages, the upset of World War II, Australian suspicion of Italian fascism, the internment of the men during the war, and the women and having to maintain farms, business, and families.

But, the next generation shows how several Italian women had enormous talent, seized opportunities, created businesses with international repercussions, like I was and party and fashion, (with commentary by her politician daughter, Allegra Spender), Marianna Hardwick also in fashion, but several women with creative companies from establishing popular markets to chemical-free drying of fruits. And, there is the strong politician, Franca arena, her contribution also to multilingual radio and SBS television. And, in the entertainment field, singer Tina Arena and Young Talent Time.

For a documentary which runs just under an hour and a half, many interesting people to meet and listen to, at an effective historical overview of the contribution of Italian women to Australian life.