This short documentary follows Rosa, President of the Savoy Ladies Group, as she tells the story of Italians in the North-East, tobacco farming, women, family and friendship.
Every fortnight for thirty years members of the Myrtleford Savoy Ladies Group have met to play tombola, create plays, go on excursions and maintain their Italian heritage. The group was founded in 1983 to combat the social isolation of Italian women tobacco farmers in the Ovens Valley. This film takes an observational look at the group’s modern day activities, through the eyes of Rosa, the group president. In the process the film sheds light on the difficulties faced by post-war Italian women migrants in North-East Victoria, their part in the local agricultural industry and their contribution to a distinctive and unique culture.
The Savoy Ladies Group documentary film was supported through funding from the Australian Government’s Your Community Heritage Program.
Screenings
Setting Sun Short Film Festival, Sun Theatre, Yarraville, 14-18 April 2016.
Museo Italiano (Melbourne Launch), 29 March 2014.
Savoy Club Myrtleford (Myrtleford Launch), 13 March 2014.
Online
The film is free to view online and has been released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license CC-BY. To watch on YouTube visit https://youtu.be/NrE-XH_kq3s
The full film with interpretative essays and a curated digital gallery of images is also available on Culture Victoria at http://www.culturevictoria.com/stories/immigrants-and-emigrants/savoy-ladies-group/
Awards

Winner, Best Film Cultural Diversity, Setting Sun Short Film Festival 2016
Finalist, Best Documentary Metropolitan, Setting Sun Short Film Festival 2016
Finalist, Best Film Overall Metropolitan, Setting Sun Short Film Festival 2016
Finalist, the Dressmaker Award for Female Filmmakers, Setting Sun Short Film Festival 2016