Countless Americans owe the good fortune
of their daily lives to a decision someone else made decades ago – but how many
can even begin to understand the courage and the anguish involved in taking
that step? Here is a short film that will
make it all real for you.
U Juornu Avanti (“The
Day Before”) is a Sicilian language film with English subtitles which dramatizes
a single day in the life of one man – the day before he leaves Sicily for
America. With the promise of a better life ringing in his ears, Minicu makes
tearful good-byes to his two brothers and his mother, who has sold her earrings
to buy him clothes. He vows to send back
enough dollars that she can buy as many new ones as she wishes.
He says good-bye to his friends, asking them to watch
over his family, and takes leave of his intended with the promise to
return. He gets cautionary advice from
those who have already crossed the ocean and from those who simply draw it from
their hearts.
Twin visual images – the beauty of the landscape where
fog spills through the mountaintops like the rich, complicated, ancient history
of Sicily itself and the striking expressions on the faces of its people deepen
the experience for the viewer and make it more meaningful.
If you are the son or daughter of immigrants from any
part of the world, consider whether any decision of yours has had as much
impact on your life as the one made on the day your ancestors stepped onto a
boat bound for America. You owe it to
them and yourself to understand as much as possible about their thinking and
their emotions. Un Juornu Avanti is a film that will get you there.
Get your copy of the film by supporting the efforts of the young filmmakers who have done a miraculous job putting it together. Visit this page http://bit.ly/1HUg0XR
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