A.P. Giannini - Bank to the Future
The incredible true story of Amadeo Peter Giannini, the son of Italian immigrants in San Francisco, the man who revolutionized the world of finance by lending money to low-income workers and migrants during the worst economic crises of all times.
He embraced the idea of ethical finance, fighting against usury and speculation. He died in 1949, at the age of 79, with less than half a million dollars in his personal bank account.
Without Giannini, the world would have never known Bank of America, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marshall Plan as well as many Hollywood masterpieces including Charlie Chaplin’s “The
Kid”, Frank Capra’s “It happened one night” and Walt Disney’s “Snow White".
Through the use of exclusive archive material, interviews and on-site filming, the documentary explores the core values of his life and traces over eighty years of American history: from the
Gold Rush to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, living through the Great Depression and World War II. A much-needed project to inspire the contemporary global view of our future.
Rough Blazing Star
A new experimental documentary film project from artist/filmmaker Christopher Wiersema examines anarchism, local history and memory, Emma Goldman’s writing, and a shared love of flowers. Told through a poetic inquiry and response to the text and research - beginning with a visit to the Old Labor Hall in Barre, Vermont - the social center of the Italian anarchist and socialist community in the early 1900’s.
Interviews with 105 year old Italian elder, Alba Rossi, and Giuliano Cecchinelli, renowned Italian stone carver - both long time residents in Barre, Vermont.
