The South

Following the death of her matriarch and beloved grandmother, The South follows Italian-Canadian recording artist and dancer Andrea Ramolo to the Salento in southern Italy to explore the rich history of its folk music and dance. Director Giuseppe Marco Albano captures Andrea as she uncovers the cultural phenomenon of the tarantate, the evolution of the pizzica, and the healing rituals of the south, and the Salento in particular. The film also follows her and Italian world music band Kalàscima behind-the-scenes as they embark on the recording of a new collaborative Italian album which takes a modern approach to traditional music. Throughout her journey, Andrea learns from the locals, like pizzica dancers Lucia Scarabino, Stefano Campagna, and Mattia Politti, the famous polyphonic singers le sorelle Gaballo of Nardò, and New Jersey based tamburello mentor Alessandra Belloni, among others. Andrea uses the healing traditions of the past and the south to grieve and heal from her recent loss. As a first generation Italian—Canadian artist, Andrea is given this unique opportunity to learn from the south, from the past, and from the charming and colourful characters she encounters along the way. From legends of spider bites to the healing power of music and dance, Andrea embraces her own healing journey through the power of her ancestral music and dance.

  • Giuseppe Marco Albano
    Director
    Noi ce la siamo cavata, Una domenica notte, Klod, Comme tous les jours, Thriller, AnnA
  • Andrea Ramolo
    Writer
    Back to Limosano
  • Andrea Ramolo
    Producer
    Free (ft. Kinnie Starr)
  • Andrea Ramolo
    Key Cast
  • Lucia Scarabino
    Key Cast
  • Michele D'Elia
    Key Cast
  • Federico Laganá
    Key Cast
  • Massimiliano DeMarco
    Key Cast
  • Luca Buccarella
    Key Cast
  • Giovanni Chirico
    Key Cast
  • Carlo Massarelli
    Key Cast
  • Alessandra Belloni
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Drama, Non-Fiction
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 6 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 20, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    English, Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital Blackmagic Raw
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • ICFF Lavazza IncluCity Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    July 4, 2023
    Canadian Premiere
Director Biography - Giuseppe Marco Albano

Giuseppe Marco Albano is an award-winning Italian director, screenwriter and producer. His film Stand By Me won the Silver Ribbon for best Italian short film. In 2013 he was awarded the Massimo Troisi Award for the best comedy short film. In the same year he presented the short film AnnA at the 70th Venice Film Festival.

In 2014 he produced, wrote and directed the short film Thriller, which premiered at the Giffoni Film Festival. The short, entirely set in Taranto, received over 80 national and international awards and won the Davide di Donatello in 2015 for the best Italian short film. In the same year, together with his closest collaborators, he established, Mediterraneo Cinematografica, an independent film production company. In 2015 he also received the Rodolfo Valentino Award as a young talent of Italian cinema.

In February 2016 he became the artistic director of the "Soundies Awards" of Casa Sanremo. In June of 2016 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, he represented Italy for the review "Les Nuits en Or", organized by the French Academy of the César Prize, together with 33 other directors from all over the world, receiving the Medal of Gold for Cinema by the Italian actress Claudia Cardinale. Since October 2016, he has been chosen by the Tenco Club to direct the prestigious Tenco Prize (historically entrusted to the director Pepi Morgia) which, since 1974 has awarded awards to Italian and international songwriting.

In December 2022, at the 40th TFF Torino Film Festival, he presented the documentary entitled Noi Ce La Siamo Cavata which shares memories and interviews with the protagonists of a cult film by the great director Lina Wertmüller, based on the homonymous best-seller by Marcello D'Orta.

Add Director Biography