A journey through one of the most beautiful regions of Italy will take place on Saturday, Jan. 24 as Rockefeller Arts Center at the State University of New York at Fredonia presents the travel/adventure film “Inside the Tuscan Hills” at 7:30 p.m. in King Concert Hall.Originally filmed as a PBS documentary travelogue, the film presents a vivid portrait of a place where ancient traditions have never disappeared and gives an insider’s look at the rich rural culture of Tuscany.
Located on the western coast of central Italy, Tuscany has a population of about 3.6 million inhabiting its 8,880 square miles. The region is known for its lush landscapes and its skilled artists and craftsmen.
Tuscany’s “Cities of Art” ─ which include its capital, Florence ─ are popular tourist destinations. The region is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance and its artistic heritage includes painting, sculpture and architecture. Tuscany is home to numerous museums, including the Uffizi, the Accademia and the Bargello in Florence. Tuscany was also the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
In terms of agriculture, Tuscany produces some of the world’s best wines, including Chianti Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and is also known for the production of olive oil.
With exclusive access to the workshops, kitchens and homes of the Tuscan people, “Inside the Tuscan Hills” showcases the region’s amazing diversity of landscape, arts and food ─ revealing how the Tuscans themselves really live and weaving compelling stories of master craftsmen and country cooks, ancient farmhouses and rustic cheese makers ─ while soaking up the singularly beautiful landscape.
Audiences will come to know a place where every meal honors the local beauty and pays tribute to culinary traditions; where artisans practice in the style of the masters who came before them; where residents are surrounded by the beauty and history of a mythic landscape.
Narrating the film will be John Wilson, one of Canada’s top award-winning wildlife documentary filmmakers.
Wilson is highly regarded as a cameraman who will do just about anything to get the right shot. He has leaned out of helicopters flying over mountain peaks, gone scuba diving under icebergs and come face-to-face with a grizzly bear. From the polar ice of the high arctic, to the volcanic craters of the equatorial Galapagos Islands and many exciting locations in between, John enjoys filming the world and sharing it with others.
His still photographs have appeared in Audubon and Ontario naturalist magazines. His films have been made for the CBC, Global and TVO television networks in Canada and the BBC in England. In the United States his shows have appeared on the Discovery Channel and PBS networks.
The film is the second event in the 2008-09 World Travel Series sponsored by Fredonia Place, which is part of the Lake Shore Savings Season.
Tickets are available at the door, with one child 12 and under admitted free with each adult ticket purchased. Additional information is available at www.fredonia.edu/rac or www.fredonia.edu/tickets.
