Agata De Santis’ latest book is such a fun and informative look into a national pastime, Sunday with the family. De Santis is the producer, director, and writer behind Redhead Productions, a Montreal-based documentary film production company, and the founder of italocanadese.org. She recently also spearheaded the formation of the Italian-Canadian Collective which promotes cultural projects for and about the Italian diaspora of Canada. Just like her previous book, Mal’occhio, reveals the secrets behind the evil eye, this second book, Sundays with La Famiglia, brings you right to the heart of the Sunday family gathering. Everyone needs to go over to Nonna’s or Zia‘s house and read this book together this Sunday!
In the introduction you say this book is a “celebration of family and of our Italian heritage,” why did you want to celebrate Sunday gatherings?
I cherish Sunday gatherings with my family. When we’re all together, we number 13: mom, myself, three siblings, three in-laws, four nephews and one niece. It’s a time to catch up, gossip, make plans for future gatherings and sometimes discuss serious matters. It’s a time for the young cousins to bond and create memories together. For the most part we keep the electronics aside – we try! Often these gatherings are the only time I see some of my family members. Text messages and shared memes are not just enough. Families need to spend real time together. These connections for both young and older are so crucial to a content life. This is what I want to celebrate and to encourage! The gathering does not need to happen on a Sunday at Nonna’s. What’s important is that the gathering happens, no matter the menu, the location or the day of the week.
What was different about writing this book from your last book?
Both Mal’occhio and Sundays with la Famiglia focus on traditions that resonate with my family and with many Italian immigrant families in Canada and beyond. But there are two key differences. With Mal’occhio, the research had already been done. I had spent over a decade researching the topic for my 2010 documentary film on the subject. When it came time to writing the book, it was just a matter of revisiting all the research I had accumulated. With Sundays, I had to start from a clean slate. I also expanded the visual content to include images from various archives and libraries, mostly in Canada and the U.S. I wanted to offer visuals beyond my camera. And I wanted to showcase an Italian diaspora that covered various places and generations. And as such, the archival research was much more expansive and a lot more fun.
You include an historical chapter on Italian immigration. Why is this important in a book about Sunday gatherings?
I think the backstory, the “origins” story, is always so important to any tale we tell. In the case of Sundays with la Famiglia, the backstory is the migration of Italians to various corners of the world. The Italian diaspora is so vast and varied… even I was surprised by some of the facts I discovered. I did not know, for example, that Italian-Brazilians are the largest population will full or partial Italian ancestry outside of Italy. 32 million Italians live in Brazil! And who knew that 54% of the total population in Argentina is of Italian origin!
You’ve included a few recipes in the book. Why did you choose these ones and which did you leave out?
I definitely have quite a few more of my mom’s recipes that did not make it into the book! Sundays is not a recipe book, so I did not want to include too many dishes. I chose those recipes that I felt most folks could make with tools readily available in their kitchens. And I included recipes that I thought readers would be interested in. I absolutely had to include mom’s homemade birthday cake, as I talk about it all the time. It was even featured in my last documentary film, Terra Mia!
Why include a chapter on the card game scopa?
Leisure activities are a key element of the Sunday family gathering. Especially on those occasions when the family is together for both lunch and dinner… how do you fill the hours in-between? Scopa is a wonderful game that can be played by all generations… as soon as you can count you can play. It’s a game that is often taught by a grandparent to a grandchild, which I think is just so lovely. And don’t you find that both Nonna and the seven-year-old get the same delight from playing? It’s also an homage to my late father, who never said no to a round of Scopa.
There are so many wonderful pictures in this book. Were they difficult to choose?
The archival research for this project was both delightful and challenging. Some photos were a yes as soon as I looked upon them. Others were tougher to choose. I tried to offer a variety; at times I had to choose between similar photos… which one to keep?!? Budget is always an issue on any creative project. I only had so many pages to fill and a finite budget to spend. I am delighted with the final result.
What is your favourite childhood Sunday memory?
What I most cherish is the simple act of getting together around the table: to celebrate an occasion or a milestone; to work together to prepare tomatoes, sausages, sweets, you name it; to be there for one another during difficult times; to gossip; to mourn; to just pass the time… These days we are rushing here and there. And when we’re not rushing, we’re staring blankly at our screens. I think we need to collectively slow down, be present and be there for one another. My generation – Gen X children of immigrants – experienced that as kids, every Sundays with the family. I think we need to bring that gathering back to our weekly routines. And as I say in the book, it actually doesn’t need to be a Sunday and the meal does not need to be elaborate. The act of coming together for a meal – and for each other – is what is key.
Do you think your Italian heritage makes the writing more or less challenging in any way?
Quite a bit of the content of my writing – both in print and on the screen – is inspired by my Italian heritage. Does writing about Italianità put me in a niche? Maybe. But I’m okay with that. I like to think that the stories I write are both specific and universal.
What advice do you have to writers trying to write about their family traditions?
As the old wise saying goes… Write what you know! I think it’s so important to preserve family traditions, and many of those traditions resonate with others. I think the trick is to find a unique take on a story, make it your own, and write! Even if it never gets published, you will have accomplished a great feat: archiving your family’s stories, memories and traditions for generations to come.
What are you working on now?
I have two documentary film projects in development that I’m hoping will go into production in the coming years. The next book project is brewing… very slowing… but definitely brewing…
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