Documentary
United States of America
Italianamerican is a 1974 documentary film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese. The film features Scorsese's parents, Catherine and Charles Scorsese, both of whom discuss their life growing up in New York City as well as their family history in Italy, particularly their Sicilian heritage. The film is shot mostly in the Scorsese family apartment in Little Italy and features candid conversations between the filmmakers' parents, with topics ranging from their early years in lower Manhattan to their experiences taking the ferry to Staten Island to visit their relatives. While the film is primarily a personal history of the Scorsese family, it also serves as a love letter to the Italian-American community in New York City during the mid-20th century. The film has been noted for its frank and honest portrayal of Italian-American culture, and for its subtle commentary on the effects of assimilation on immigrant families in the United States. Italianamerican was Scorsese's first foray into documentary filmmaking and remains a beloved and influential work in his oeuvre.
