Filmmaker Statement

When the general public thinks about Italian-American representation in film, the generic go to's are Tony Soprano and Don Corleone. Although the mafia is a very recognized sect of Italian American culture, it is rare that more universal topics are explored when Italian-Americans are featured on screen. Inspired by Plato’s 'Symposium On Love', ‘Experts In A Dying Field’ features a cast of characters from the organized crime world, but rather than debate the best way to take revenge or the next mark, the group explores the topic of dating and women. At the expense of an ‘outsider’, this short offers a multi-generational look through the lens of a perceived archaic group of ‘men's men’. My intention is to use a peripheral family member (Marcello) with access to this closed off world but is not truly apart of it, setting the stage for a difference in opinion between the current generation and this very traditional (and not always correct) community. As life progresses, we are all taught the hard truth that family is rarely right when it comes to our own personal journeys. With our protagonist Marcello, he too learns this truth but in the end also has to decide what world he wants to live in (or will that decision be made for him?).