America's Last Little Italy: The Hill

Most of us are used to the Ken Burns style of documentary film. It's great to see a young filmmaker who's aware of other styles but chooses to go his own way to make the truth of this film understood exclusively from the comments of those he interviewed. It's also poignant to note that some of those voices were captured in their last days on this earth as several of those in the film are already gone just months after the work was done. In this manner, the story tells itself rather than having a coat of cosmetic interpretation that instructs the viewer what to think or how to interpret the voices heard. St. Louis, from afar can sometimes be judged only by the news outsiders see, like the fires in Ferguson or the conflicts between protesters and homeowners in the Central West End. The Hill provides an in-depth lens on a love story for a community, culture and credo that affirms its history and explains why it will endure when even more of its founders are long gone.

I recieved the trailer this morning from my mom. She tells me to watch and you will see your grandparents. Sure enough they are there at the dinner table. The history is so rich on The Hill. I learned quite a bit from this film and watched it with my daughters who are blessed to have been named by their great grandfather. Highly recommend!

Even if you're not of Italian descent, this important and impactful documentary of one of the last major Italian communities left in the United States will give you a keen insight into how immigrants came to this country, established a community and then flourished through hard work and the importance of family. You will see the push-pull effect of wanting to become 'American' while also retaining their Italian heritage. Coming from an Italian family myself, this movie truly captures the importance of love, family, religion and (yes) food in the Italian experience. Like an Italian grandmother cooking Sunday dinner for her family, this film was made with love - and it shows. Highly recommended!

Loved this beautiful movie! The pride and love of an entire neighborhood was well-captured and presented so well that it is not even necessary to live there to be able to appreciate and long for a place that feels like that. (We do live there part-time). The history was so interesting...the interviews with residents about the current times, and the stories of their ancestors and the long-established places of business were so well-done. The music score that complemented whatever era was rolling was also spot-on. It was entertaining and all-in-all, just a beautiful piece of film making. Thank you for making it!

I absolutely loved this film, it was very well done and informative, can't wait to watch it again.