L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano W i t h i n t h e h e a r t o f Sardinia, a h i d d e n p o c k e t remains where the echoes of t h e p a s t e n d u r e , a w o r l d somehow untouched by the rhythm of our modern lives: it's Tonara, a village of under two thousand souls. Among them, a few people strive to keep the ancient art of cow- bell manufacturing alive, b a t t l i n g e x t i n c t i o n w i t h opposing philosophies driving their preservation. Pietro Mereu's Sonag- gios, a documentary showed at the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival, tells the story behind these cowbells, which historically served multiple social purpos- es: a sound deterrent for theft, a calming aid for livestock, a n d a p o w e r f u l s y m b o l o f honor and prestige for shep- herds. Originally from Sardinia, Director Mereu is no stranger to stories of his homeland: an independent filmmaker, his w o r k i n c l u d e s t h e r e p o r t Greece is Here, Letter from Sardinia, social cause projects like Etic art and We Don't Give Up – Faces and Stories of the Flood, and the award- winning 2015 documentary The Centenarian Club, about Sardinian longevity. Another project, The Sea Urchin Clan, reached the first selection round of the 2018 David di Donatello Awards. The inspiration behind his dive into Tonara's sonag- gios tradition, culminating in t h i s d o c u m e n t a r y , h a s a n u n e x p e c t e d o r i g i n o n t h e other large Italian island. "In 2017, I was in Sicily filming a TV pilot about cuisine when I met a woman who told me about a relative of hers – an Italian-born TV host – who was interested in doing some- thing in Italy. That sparked the idea for a project about major historical events linked to Italian craftsmanship," he explains. "It was in this con- text that I first met the Floris family, one of the two fea- tured in the film. I'd occasion- a l l y v i s i t t h e m , a n d w e became friends.They often told me I should make a doc- umentary about cowbells. In 2020, after returning to Sar- dinia from Milan, I finally began the project. My friend Marcello Mereu - who hap- pens to share the same name as my brother – told me that some friends of his at the Velvet production company were looking for a documen- tary subject. That's how Son- aggios began." From twenty families until the 1960s, only the Floris and the Sulis now carry on the cowbell tradition. The Floris brothers (Marco and S a l v a t o r e ) , t h e i r f a t h e r Ignazio, and assistant Luca are using social media to expand. Carlo Sulis hopes his s o n M a r c o w i l l c o n t i n u e , while his cousin Stefano ded- icates his free time. "I already knew the Floris family quite well, but I hadn't met the Sulis, and it was only after I started spending more time in Tonara that I got to know them. They have a very dif- ferent character, extremely reserved, which, in a way, reflects a very Sardinian trait: a culture of silence and dis- c r e t i o n . " H e c o n t i n u e s : "What drove me to tell the story of both families was, as always, curiosity and passion. When a story feels like it has something unique to reveal, I feel compelled to follow it all the way." As explained by Director Mereu, the Sonaggios are a familiar sound to every Sar- dinian. "Our countryside has a l w a y s e c h o e d w i t h t h e i r music, but in truth, few peo- p l e r e a l l y k n o w a n y t h i n g a b o u t t h e w o r l d b e h i n d t h e m , " h e s h a r e s . " I t ' s a closed universe with its own silent traditions. What struck m e m o s t w a s t h e p a s s i o n some shepherds have for har- monizing their flocks. Anoth- er touching detail: in the past, when a shepherd died, they would change the bells on the animals as a sign of mourning. It's as if even the herd paid its respects." In a world where the buzz is mostly around technology, traditional crafts are disap- pearing. A key moment in the documentary sees the two families finally acknowledge that sharing their exper- tise is essential to pre- v e n t t h e e x t i n c t i o n o f their cowbell-making art. "In an era where artificial intelligence dominates the conversation and artisanal work is vanishing, it's essen- tial to find new motivations t o k e e p t r a d i t i o n s a l i v e , " Director Mereu agrees. "The families' decision to collabo- rate is a deliberate strategy, an act of cultural preserva- t i o n . S h a r i n g k n o w l e d g e , t o d a y , b e c o m e s a w a y o f resisting oblivion." Despite this shared under- standing about knowledge, viewers can't help but notice two distinct visions emerg- ing: the Floris family's open- ness to innovation, and the Sulis family's deep connec- tion to the past. How did you witness this dynamic evolve, w e a s k e d . " I ' m g l a d y o u noticed this contrast, it's quite clear. In fact, I was the one who encouraged dia - l o g u e a n d c o l l a b o r a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e f a m i l i e s . I t wasn't easy. I felt a bit like Socrates, using his maieutic method to help them bring out things they already had within. Through the docu- mentary's filming, the fami- lies themselves realized how vital it was to unite in order to preserve their craft." The Tonara community is at the centre of a remarkable project of spreading the word around this craftsmanship. Tonara has always been a hospitable community for Director Mereu. "The people welcomed me warmly, and many are still waiting to see the film – which so far has only premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival." The town is known not only for its cowbells but also for its nougat. "Interest- ingly, it used to be the nougat vendors who carried and dis- tributed the sonaggios during village festivals across Sar- dinia." Tonara, as well as Sar- dinia, see a deeper value of preserving these family tradi- tions: "It really shows how a tradition can shape the social a n d e c o n o m i c f a b r i c o f a community. If this tradition hadn't existed, I wouldn't h a v e t o l d i t s s t o r y , a n d Tonara wouldn't be what it is today. Back in 2018, I wrote a docu-series about artisans w h o w e r e s t i l l r e s i s t i n g change, but it was never pro- duced. Today, the situation is even more fragile, and Son- aggios gives voice to those s t o r i e s b e f o r e t h e y f a d e away." When asked about the risk of losing these types of arti- sanal traditions, Director Mereu believes in the power of storytelling in educating and raising awareness among people. "Beyond its artistic and documentary value, Son- aggios also has an education- a l r o l e t h a t s h o w s h o w important these crafts are. To g i v e a c o n c r e t e e x a m p l e : forty years ago in Urzulei, the small Ogliastra village where my mother was born, dozens of women made beautiful asphodel baskets. Ten years ago, only two remained. But recently, the local council started offering classes to teach younger women how to weave the baskets. So maybe all is not lost." SERENA PERFETTO Two families, one sound: director Mereu's Sonaggios is a journey into Sardinian cowbells Two generations at work making cowbells in Sardinia (Photo courtesy of Pietro Mereu) SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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