I’m Lisa Di Vita, a first-time documentarian.

The United States swelled with arriving Italian immigrants in the 19th century. My grandfather, Lorenzo Di Vita, was one of them. Their assimilation was a rugged process.

And as for Native Americans, having lived in this land for centuries – how did the forced assimilation they endured, compare to the cultural assimilation of Italian Europeans?

My documentary examines specific pros and cons of 19th-century assimilation through stories handed down from one generation to another.

It’s the tale of two communities: Tontitown, Arkansas, and the Montana Crow Reservation.

Those two communities are connected through the one man who tried to assimilate them both into American culture: Father Pietro Bandini.

Director | Lisa Di Vita
Director of Photography | Chuck Bowman
Editor | Dana Shockley
Assistant Producer | Patricia Relph, Ph.D.
Website | PietroBandiniandthePeople.com