One of the best weekends for local movie lovers has to be the West Chester Film Festival, and the 10th annual event is just around the corner, April 25–27! Think of the weekend as a buffet, serving up a wide variety of short films—comedies, dramas, documentaries—there is something for everyone. If you have not attended the festival before, this is the year to do it!
As a movie lover and a foodie, I was excited to receive an advance screening of Sikh Formaggio, one of the films being shown this year. For those who don’t know, formaggio is Italian for cheese, and who doesn’t love cheese?
Sikh Formaggio explores how the immigration of Sikhs has saved the production of Italian cheeses in Cremora, Italy. The mayor of Cremora and a local factory owner explain how young Italians have lost interest in laborious agriculture work and Sikhs have come to the rescue. Over 16,000 Indian immigrants now work in agriculture in Italy, working as dairy farmers, truck drivers or cheesemakers. While Italy remains well known for their Parmigiano Reggiano, not many people realize much of the cheese is now made by Sikh immigrants.
Onkar Singh moved to Cremora from Punjab for a job that would support his family. He works the overnight shift as a dairy farmer, tending to the cows and milking them until dawn. His daughter recounts the difficult religious decisions her father made, cutting his hair and giving up his turban when he first moved to Italy, and how after proving himself in the workplace, gradually re-embraced his religious customs.
Like many excellent foodie movies, Sikh Formaggio is more about cultural heritage than it is about food. This 22-minute film shows the changing dynamics of the international landscape, how people in developing countries make sacrifices for gainful employment and in turn help save traditions on other countries. With beautiful shots of Italian villages and the local Sikh Temple, Sikh Formaggio is a splendid, quiet little film. I only wished they showed more cheese.
Click here to view the whole weekend schedule and also see what times Sikh Formaggio will be playing throughout the weekend. See a block of films with Sikh Formaggio and enjoy some Italian dinner at Nonna’s or Limoncello or go cheese shopping at Carlino’s Market afterwards. After all, the West Chester Film Festival and a night out in the borough is pure bliss.
