Frank Capra Street

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🏛️ TAP 1
Calvary Street 14
FRANK CAPRA THE GENIUS LOCI OF BISACQUINO AND THE DOCUMENTARIES OF WAR.

Frank Capra is considered Bisacquino’s Genius Loci because his legacy and influence have deeply permeated the community. Born in Bisacquino in 1897, Capra went on to become one of the most influential and celebrated filmmakers in the history of American cinema.
His childhood spent in this Sicilian village is thought to have had a lasting impact on his worldview and cinematic narrative.

Indeed, we can see how his films are steeped in values such as honesty, integrity and humanity. Capra’s stories often reflect the struggle of ordinary individuals against adversity, promoting ideals of justice, hope and optimism. These themes we can think of as having emerged from his experiences as a child in Bisacquino and as an immigrant in the United States, becoming an intrinsic part of his filmmaking.

WHY WE FIGHT

Now I invite you to walk to the last panel to stop and observe it. What do you notice? A large “Why we fight” sign and pictures depicting Frank Capra in military uniform.

“This is our job, Capra, indeed your job. To win this war we must first win the mind of every man”: it was with these words that General George Marshall addressed Hollywood director Frank Capra, convinced that he could make a contribution to the United States for the cause of freedom during World War II; he ordered him to make films whose task was to show the enemies and the reason for the war to the boys who would be drafted to fight. The message contained in the films was accepted as the official political line by the U.S. Allies, the documentaries assembled under the general title Why we fight enunciated and elaborated the prewar American and world political line.

During World War II, the medium of film was used extensively as an official tool to document and conduct the war as well as to achieve political and military objectives. The United States in 1941, the time of its entry into the war, had no major documentary tradition, so the government, concerned about the effectiveness of German and Italian propaganda, turned to Hollywood to meet its communicative needs by engaging such directors as Frank Capra, John Huston, John Ford, and William Wyler, who were called to arms and brought cinema to the front, equipped with cameras instead of rifles.

Did you know that one of the most original gimmicks was the use of animated cartoons made by the Walt Disney Studios that were involved in U.S. government propaganda activities for the occasion?