the casorsos: la prima famiglia
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It was 140 years ago that Giovanni Casorso first came to Kelowna. This feature length documentary (2 hours, 15 minutes) tells the story of Giovanni, Rosa and their family of 9 children: 8 sons and 1 daughter: their contributions, their impact on both the City of Kelowna and our Italian community and their legacy that has passed from generation to generation.
The story of the Casorso Family and their voyage to Canada is expansive and fascinating. It encompasses the tribulations facing Italians after Unification in the late 1800s, experiences typical to Italian Immigrants before the turn of the century arriving in North America, what was happening in the new frontier province of B.C. and a snapshot of the early history of the Central Okanagan and Kelowna Most of all, it is a remarkable story of courage, resilience and arrangiarsi - the spirit of "making do" that allowed Italian immigrants to thrive in a new land. Giovanni and Rosa Casorso, their eight sons and one daughter made an indelible impression on a young community and set in motion a chain of migration that has shaped the experience of every Italian who would follow in their footsteps. The Casorsos: La Prima Famiglia Featuring
Award Winning documentaryThe Casorsos: La Prima Famiglia received the Special Heritage Project Award from the Central Okanagan Heritage Society and was recognized by Heritage BC for achievement in Education, Communications and Awareness.
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you can now own or rent this award winning documentary onlineThe Casorsos : La Prima Famiglia is now available to rent or purchase online. You can purchase for $14.99 or rent for $4.99. All proceeds from video sales and rentals go to help us continue our Legacy Video series. For more information about our project, visit our project page.
We have made the video available for rent or purchase through the Vimeo platform. We have put together some frequently asked questions about Vimeo,
An interview with castanetOur Interview on cbc
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PRAISE FOR THE documentary - the CASORSOS: LA PRIMA FAMIGLIA
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LYNNE BOWEN
With interviews and compelling visuals the video entitled "The Casorsos: La Prima Famiglia" tells the Italian immigration story through the life of Giovanni Casorso, an immigrant who came to the Okanagan in the nineteenth century not to convert the heathen or strike it rich, but to make the most of the valley’s beneficial climate and and robust soil to build a future for his many descendants and for the valley.
Lynne Bowen - Author of Whoever Gives Us Bread: The Story of Italians in British Columbia |
CHRISTINE SCHMIDT
The Casorso documentary is a wonderful retelling of the story of an Italian immigrant family to a new land. The impact that my great grandparents, Giovanni and Rosa Casorso, have had in the Kelowna and Okanagan area is immense, both to our family and to others.
This video presentation has been well researched and is fascinating to watch. It shows how two people who are hard working, courageous and true partners in life can attract others to come, from far away, to do the same. The Casorso farming and business legacy continues, in the Okanagan Valley, to this day, 140 years later. Christine Schmidt (Casorso) |
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LUKE WHITTALL
This is the definitive history of the Okanagan's pioneering Italian family and the best film about the Okanagan's European history through the eyes of a family that has seen it from the beginning.
Luke Whittall - Author of Valleys of Wine : A Taste of British Columbia's Wine History |
BOB HAYES
The story of the Casorso family is one of resilience, determination and concern for others. It also marks the beginning of Italian settlement in the Central Okanagan, forever enriching our
community and country with their culture and commitment to a better life for themselves and their families.” Bob Hayes - Kelowna Historian |
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ADRIANA DAVIES
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The documentary not only makes the generations of Casorso family members come to life but also throws light on the development of Kelowna and district from the settlement era to the present. Father Pandosy, who established the mission, invited Giovanni Casorso in 1883 to establish the mission farm. He did this with the help of his wife and children, who came from Italy to join him, and established a dynasty involved in agriculture from mixed farming to fruit growing. Much of the original land holdings are still in family hands.
The documentary makes 140 years of Casorso family history and Kelowna history come to life. It demonstrates how an immigrant group that was not considered “desirable” none-the-less not only survived but thrived in alien conditions and circumstances. It is part of the narrative of Canadian nation building. Adriana A. Davies - Author of From Sojourners to Citizens: Alberta's Italian History |
