The story of our Italian ancestors, the hardships they faced, and their integration into American
Society while preserving our customs and traditions has been a story largely untold if at all.

Further inacuracies of Italo-American social history are perpetuated by movies like 'The
Godfather'(Coppola'72),'The Untouchables'(DePalma'87), 'Goodfellas'(Scorsese'90), 'A Bronx Tale'(DeNiro'93), and 'Federal Hill' (Corrente'94).

While some stereotyping happens with all nationalities, movies like these fill the minds of our children with absolute rubbish and label us unfairly. Movies, plays, skits and even animated
movies like the hit "Sharktales" poke fun at Italians as comic relief and stoop to give the bad guy an "Italian hoodlum" feel.

By contrast, an upcoming documentary movie holds promise to set things right and fill the void
left so far by the Hollywood crowd.

Filmed in Providence, Rhode Island on Federal Hill, a documentary film to be released in
September 2006 is reportedly the result of a five year effort to document the history and cultural evolution of Italian Americans in their neighborhood and depicts a determined Italian
immigrant population who prospered through education, hard work and community involvement.

Aptly called "Italian Americans and Federal Hill", this film serves up historical reality, nostaliga, traditions, food, family values and the importance of education as related by Italo-
Americans themselves in their own words.

Featured speakers in the movie include Judge Frank Caprio, Rev. Msgr. Galliano J. Cavallaro, Prof. John S. Chiaro, Jr., former Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci, Jr., City Council President
and former Mayor John J. Lombardi, Rev. Ramond P. Luft, former Italian Vice Consul, Grande Ufficiale Joseph R. Muratore, former Mayor Joseph R. Paolino, Jr. (also former United States
Ambassador to Malta), Rev. Vincenzo Rosato, and other Italo-Americans from the neighborhood.

Reportedly, even the soundtrack was recorded live and features traditional Italian folk music (according to a publicist) a far cry from the music usually associated with Italian stereotypes.

While filmed in the same neighborhood as Corrente's movie, this film by producer Jon Raben
promises to be far more useful in furthering a true, fair and accurate depiction of Italian
culture and heritage. It contains no violence or foul language.

The official web site is at www.italianamericansandfederalhill.com.
The producer can be reached at bcpressdept@yahoo.com