I recently met Mark Spano in Sicily while he was working on his documentary “Reimagining Sicily”. I have met several film makers and journalists who came to the island to shoot a movie or a documentary over the years, but when I met Mark I immediately understood there was something special about him and his project.
“Reimagining Sicily” is a feature documentary intended to portray the fascinating and diverse history of Sicily and the contributions the region has made to Italy and the rest of the world. The official premise behind the documentary, as defined by Mark Spano himself, is that “Little has been produced about the cultural or historic relevance of Sicily. The most invaded place on the planet, the three-sided island’s story rivals both Greece and Egypt as a primary source for Western ideas. Sicily is more fascinating and more diverse than so many of the worn out discussions of regions in France and other parts of Italy. And few of those “popularized” regions compare to Sicily for a story of authentic human struggle, the presence of cultural icons and the significance of so many important historical sites. But for crime, Sicily has gone unexplored.”
Having had the pleasure of spending some time with him, I know there is a deeper motivation behind the documentary, Mark's endless passion and love for the land of his ancestors and his wish to lend the island his camera to let Sicily express itself.
The project is now seeking travel funds through crowdfunding for the production of the documentary, whose team includes filmmaker Mark Spano, videographer David Tyson, editor Larry Gardner and art director Jeff Crawford.
Learn more about the project and help fund the documentary here.
Watch below a five-minute screener from "Reimagining Sicily":
