Blood e Acqua - Documentary by Dante Nazzaro

My name is Dante Nazzaro and I'm a third generation Italian American. I'm a filmmaker pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Film Production at Hofstra University.

Blood e Acqua is a documentary that compares Italian American and Italian culture through the lens of family life and ultimately how it effects that culture. The film documents the lives of the Nazzaro, Rosati, Miranda, Bosco and Mustacciuolo families, who are my own families. 

I hope to explore Italian American ideals of family, masculinity, food, religion, and social life in this documentary. This exploration will be paired with my team and I's journey to Italy, where we'll take what we've learned and explored in Italian American culture, and distinguish the similarities and differences with Italian culture.

That's where you come in. This GoFundMe is a means to get us to our next destination: San Potito, Ultra, Italy. A small Italian village off the coast of Naples where part of my family originates from. 

Here is where my team and I will be staying in relation to Italy. 



By going to San Potito, our exploration of culture shift can be even more pronounced. It'll let us dig deeper into what it means to be involved in your culture.

For these reasons, we're asking for $7,500. It's a hefty price, we know. But every penny will be used towards all necessary elements to make our trip feasible and allow for us to make the greatest film possible.

From equipment and studio rentals, air travel, land transportation, meals, and more, all your donations will go to great use.

My team and I want to go to San Potito this summer, starting in late June and returning in early August. Our trip is intended to span over two months, so we can delve into the lifeblood and culture to the fullest extent for the film.

I've attached a graph below that shows how the funds will be used.


What we hope to accomplish with this film is to answer these questions: did Italian immigrants succeed in coming to America? Meaning, when they came for more opportunities and better lives, did they achieve that? How did it effect our culture?

I intend to reach audiences who will benefit from a story such as this. It's extremely personal to me, as it's about my family, but it doesn't stop there. It applies to all immigrants because it's ultimately the story of assimilation. 

I want to paint a picture of what it means to leave one country and arrive at another, and how all our past traditions translate from place to place and generation to generation. We need the money to make this film to show that the immigrant experience isn't a secular issue.

All different cultures can relate to wanting to succeed in new places once we leave our homes and embark on a new journey. Assimilation is a key part in the existence of immigrants, but maintaining and redefining our culture allows us the thrive beyond our wildest dreams.

So, please, help us make this film a reality. Help us spread the word of this story and expand our influence to ask the questions we've posed.

Share this link on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and all other social media platforms to people who you think could benefit from a story like this. Every penny counts, and every share spreads our message even further.

Thank you!