Rob McGregor is the Communications Manager of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand; he talks about the role of digital media in communications, and to which extent they help people being informed and staying connected.

During the first ever Italian festival in Christchurch, organized at The Colombo by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand with the local support of the Christchurch Dante Society, Radio Plains fm 96.9 was out in force, recording comments and personal stories from some of the exhibitors, and from some of the 1000 visitors present on the night.

Irene Boles is an architect from Milan, teaching at the ARA in Christchurch. Irene talks of her career, and explains how, in designing and realizing (with her partner, also an architect) their house on the sea in New Brighton, they used the New Zealand concept of bach filtered through a Mediterranean sensibility, to a rewarding result. We play Rosalina by Fabio Concato, and Piu` bella cosa by Eros Ramazzotti.

Paolo Rotondo introduces the Cinema Italiano Festival that opens at the Academy Gold at the Colombo on 14 June, and runs until 25 June. This film festival is always well attended, and the line-up of this year’s films won’t disappoint any lover of Italian cinema. But this year there’s something more going on at the Colombo: the first ever Italian festival. “Ciao Italia” showcases Italian fun, food and fanfare. It’s a compact, not to be missed event, on the 14th of June, from 6 pm to 9.30 pm. There is music, songs and tarantella, and fantastic items both imported from Italy or made by Italians here. Also, for all the month of June, the Colombo runs and Italian theme... Che volete di piu`?!

Domenico Nordio is an international violinist who will be playing in Christchurch on the 30th of May. Nordio is lead violin of the Orchestra Giuseppe Verdi of La Scala. Born in Venice in 1971, he started his career of prize-winner and solo recitalist at the age of 10. Presently he divides his time between the Orchestra and his solo career. Nordio is recording exclusively for Sony Classical. He will play in Christchurch on the 30th of May at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, at 6 pm (Another concert in Auckland will follow). To celebrate the Italian Republic Day, this concert is offered by the Italian Embassy and by the Italian Cultural Institute in Sydney, with the local support of the Christchurch Dante Society. Free entry.

Simone Scaringi is a recently-arrived astrophysicist at the University of Canterbury, and an amateur drums player. We talk about stars, telescopes, and people studying how to use them. We play: Quelli che benpensano, by Frankie HI-NRG MC, and the original 1986 soundtrack from the animation film Ken il Guerriero.

“Jenny Mallinson’s Italian campaign” is about a research that she has carried out on the itinerary from Taranto to Trieste of the 2nd NZ Division during WWII. Jenny, originally from Christchurch, has been living in Verona for over 40 years. When her Italian friends started discovering the presence and the important role of the New Zealand troops in many battles of the war, and started asking her questions in this regard, she decided to become more knowledgeable. So her ‘campaign’ started, and you’ll hear in this programme how it continued. I’ll play: ‘Blue Smoke’, the iconic song that accompanied the New Zealand troops on the voyage to Europe, in an original recording of 1948 by the Ruru Karaitiana Quintet, and sung by Pixie Williams, and ‘Vivere’, 1937, sung by Carlo Buti.

Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel are the creators of Capsula Mundi, an innovative design for green burial. Theirs is one of the 100 projects chosen to celebrate the Italian Day of Design worldwide, on the 2nd of March 2017. In that day, 100 ‘ambassadors’ of Italian design covering all possible fields, brought to as many Countries their selected project, and opened a discussion with interested parties; in Christchurch Anna and Raoul have been at the ARA. In this programme they tell about the inception of the burial concept, in which a body, (or its ashes) is enclosed in an egg-shaped biodegradable shell, and buried, with a new tree growing on top. The egg is seen as a powerful symbol of rebirth, and the tree as a way to reconnect with the eternal cycle of nature. We play “Via del Campo” by Fabrizio De Andre`, with its poignant line “dai diamanti non nasce niente, dal letame nascono i fior”.

Marco Gianstefani is an Italian film director. When he first visited Karamea he was struck by the place, the people and their life style choices. Marco started interviewing and editing, putting together the stories of the many like-minded people who have come and joined the Karamea life, and the locals who saw it all and started participating. The trailer of his documentary is available from: https://vimeo.com/125299567. We play: Voglia di Infinito by Selton, Altrove by Morgan, Qualcosa che non c'e by Elisa.

Federico Piancatelli is a visitor from Le Marche, where last year in August and October strong earthquakes destroyed whole villages in the area of Amatrice and Norcia. Federico tells how landscape, communities and livelihoods have been upset, and how his job of marketer for a bridal dress manufacturer has been affected. We play: Polenta e gallina fregia by Davide Van de Sgroos, and Le stagioni nel sole, by Roberto Vecchioni.