Skip to main content

Interview: Documentary Filmmaker Vicki Vasilopoulos on 'Men of the Cloth'

Men of the Cloth is a portrait of three Italian master tailors who confront the decline of the apprentice system as they navigate their challenging roles in the twilight of their career. The film unravels the mystery of their artistry and reveals how their passionate devotion to their Old World craft is akin to a religion.

Italians Nino Corvato, Joe Centofanti and Checchino Fonticoli are master tailors who have spent a lifetime perfecting the skills necessary to construct flawless custom-made suits for their clients in New York City, Philadelphia and Penne, Italy. Now in the twilight of their career, they fear that their Old World knowledge will vanish with them. Enter Joe Genuardi, a tailoring apprentice who reflects the resurgence of popular interest in artisanal craftsmanship as an alternative to corporate mass production, providing hope for the future of this craft.

Filmmaker Vicki Vasilopoulos tells us all about her journey from the idea of making this film to the impact she hopes the film will make on the industry of tailoring. 

This project was made from the heart, and all of your dedication and perseverance paid off. Tell me about your journey from the beginning up until now. Did the film meet your expectations? 
I first met Checchino on a reporting trip to Italy when I was writing a piece on the luxury market for DNR, the men’s fashion newsmagazine (now a part of Women’s Wear Daily). He gave me a tour of the Brioni factory and school in the town of Penne, in Abruzzo. He was so charismatic and passionate about his craft, it left an indelible impression, and I was mesmerized by the environment there and couldn’t help thinking that craftsmen of his stature and experience were a vanishing breed. That planted a seed that would take eleven years to come to fruition.
Nino was fascinating because he had worked at Brooks Brothers prior to opening his own custom tailoring business in New York, so his career went in the opposite direction from what you’d expect: from a large concern to a throwback from another era! And Joe in the Philadelphia area was the elder statesman. He was born in the U.S. but grew up in Italy and worked in Africa. He ultimately took on the challenge of training a young apprentice, which is a critical turning point in Men of the Cloth.
Nino and Joe both represent aspects of the immigrant experience, and I also liked the fact that Checchino, although he was based in Italy, subverts our expectations and represents the opposite end of the spectrum from these two independent tailors in the U.S. I see Men of the Cloth as akin to the Slow Food of clothing, and these gentlemen’s personal stories were my true inspiration for the film. They’re unsung heroes, and I wanted to celebrate their craft. 

What was the reaction from the tailors upon seeing their story on the big screen? 
I think that master tailor Nino Corvato in New York has been very happy to have his life portrayed in an authentic way, and audiences have been treating him like a rock start when we do the Q&A’s at screening events and premieres. I don’t think that Checchino Fonticoli in Italy has seen the film yet; I hope to have my Italy premiere in the near future. As for Joe Centofanti, sadly, he passed away before the film was completed, but his daughter Helen (who continues to run the shop that he founded) is thrilled that the film can carry on her father’s legacy. 

What has the reaction been like from audiences? What are some of the memorable comments you've received?
Men of the Cloth had a sold-out world premiere at DOC NYC, the largest documentary film festival in America. It was the opening night film at the Craft in Focus Festival in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and was voted an Audience Favorite at the Three Rivers Film Festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It has also screened at the Italian Film Fest Vancouver, the Hamptons Take 2 Documentary Film Festival in New York, the Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey, and the La Femme Film Festival for women directors in Los Angeles. It has premiered theatrically in New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, and Toronto. Upcoming premieres include, Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, San Francisco, and London.
Making the film was a real odyssey, and I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to finish it, given the commitment and sacrifices that it necessitated. But the audience reaction has been so gratifying! I never get tired of hearing people tell me how the film touched them or made them nostalgic or more appreciative of this glorious craft. At a film festival in Indiana in August two audience members called the film “exquisite,” and I was humbled by such an intense reaction.


 Do you think this film will encourage younger generations to pursue a career in tailoring?
I’d like today’s generation to value the intrinsic beauty and integrity of a custom-made/bespoke suit and all that it represents – it’s the sum total of a master tailor’s entire life experience – and it’s imbued with his very essence.
I often hear from both young and middle-aged audience members that want to pursue a career in this venerable craft, and I find that very encouraging.  When my theatrical screening tour concludes this fall, I’ll be doing additional screenings at both art museums and colleges with Fashion Design and Italian Studies programs in an effort to continue this inter-generational dialogue. 

What is your dream for this film and its legacy or long-term effect on the tailoring industry?
My dream is that Men of the Cloth will continue to build on its grassroots following around the world. I hope to have a PBS broadcast, and I’m looking forward to the release of the Director’s Cut DVD (with extra features) as well as the digital release on streaming platforms like iTunes, Amazon and Vimeo. Fans can sign up for the newsletter at MenOfTheClothFilm.com to receive updates and I encourage them to email queries to info@menoftheclothfilm.com.

If you're in the vicinity of Rochester, New York, Men of the Cloth will be shown at George Eastman House's Dryden Theatre as part of the Labor Film Series on Friday October 9th at 8 PM. Filmmaker Vicki Vasilopoulos will present the film and answer audience questions afterwards.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait  “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann.  Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ornella Muti: Four decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with La Moglie più bella (The Most Beautiful Wife).  Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, Sole nella pelle (Sun on the Skin) in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies with the political climate, the breathtaking seaside as well as the styles and cars of that time.  Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and succeeds in capturing the innocence and beauty of first love.   Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with Flash Gordon . She played the role of Princess Aura.  She’s appeared in two other American films, including, Oscar , which was directed by John Landis and featured Don Ameche, Chaz Palminteri, and...
Post a Comment
Read more

Iconic scenes from 'Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina' highlight Italy's North-South divide

If you’re in the mood for a quintessential old-school Italian comedy, look no further than “Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina.” Directed in the mid-1950s by Camillo Mastrocinque, the film has stood the test of time. Starring two of Italy’s most beloved comic actors, Totò (Antonio De Curtis) and Peppino De Filippo, it is widely regarded as one of the country’s most iconic comedies, showcasing mid-century Neapolitan humor. The film also features a young Nino Manfredi at the beginning of his prolific six-decade career. “Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina” is the story of two simple, old-fashioned brothers from Naples, Antonio and Peppino Caponi (Totò and De Filippo respectively), who embark on a trip up north to check on their young nephew Gianni. Gianni has moved to Milan and fallen for a seductive nightclub dancer named Marisa (Maria Luisa Mangini, aka Dorian Gray), whom they refer to as a “malafemmina,” meaning a “bad woman” or femme fatale. Believing she is corrupting him, Totò and Peppino ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cineuropa's Interview with Michele Placido

It was announced this week that Michele Placido's new film, "7 minuti" will be shown at this year's Rome Film Festival. 11 amazing actresses women star in "7 minuti" by Michele Placido , a drama co-produced by Italy, France, Spain and Switzerland and being distributed by German company Koch Media. The cast features Cristiana Capotondi , Ambra Angiolini , Fiorella Mannoia , Maria Nazionale , Ottavia Piccolo , Violante Placido , Sabine Timoteo , Anne Consigny , Mimma Lovoi and Clémence Poésy . The film is based on the play of the same name by Stefano Massini, who wrote the screenplay with Placido, and is the story of 11 women, a mixture of manual labourers and office workers, who are called to the negotiation table when the owners of the textiles company they work for sell the majority of their shares to a multinational. In a short space of time they must decide, for themselves and on the behalf of their fellow colleagues, whether to accept the...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Conversation with Actor- Luca Calvani from Warner Bros. Upcoming Release "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."

The cast and filmmakers of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  in Rome  A few years ago, I interviewed actor, Luca Calvani on the occasion of his U.S. release, When in Rome . Today, we are revisiting our conversation as he is promoting his much anticipated spy thriller, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the all-star cast includes Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, and Hugh Grant. Based on the television series by Sam Rolfe, the story is set in the 1960's and follows CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin as they participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons. The U.S. release date is set for August 14, but the cast recently did some press for the film in the Eternal City, where much of it was shot. Luca Calvani Born in Tuscany, Calvani has traveled the world following his career. He began working as a model in the 1990's...
Post a Comment
Read more