Rescued as a baby from an orphanage and adopted by his Italian-American parents, a filmmaker returns to Aosta, Italy, a lifetime later to reconcile the feelings that have stopped him from finding his place at the table.
Il Mio Posto a Tavola (My Place at the Table) is a first-person documentary film which examines our universal need to belong, as seen through the heart of the filmmaker. Born in a Catholic orphanage in Aosta, Italy, and flown to the United States just one week shy of his first birthday, Santo D. Marabella was one of over 3700 Italian born children adopted by Italian American parents between 1951 and 1969. Known as the “Baby Scoop” era, tens of thousands of Italian unwed mothers were forced to give their children up for adoption, leaving behind generations of children devastated by their perceived abandonment.
Though he was the treasured only child of his adoptive parents, Santo was bullied by his peers and struggled from an early age to fit in and connect with others. Growing up, the realization that he was gay further deepened this isolation, straining his relationship with the Church to which he was so dedicated and the parents he so loved. Despite self-doubt and fear, he refused to be stopped. He tried harder and achieved more, carving out a life as a caregiver, educator, writer and artist. But he was still on the outside. In this journey to belonging, Santo returns to Italy to find his place at the table (posto a tavola)
Il Mio Posto a Tavola explores the universal need for belonging in the midst of a disconnected world.
According to the US Surgeon General in 2023, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the United States is experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. In his book Together, Dr. Murthy warns that loneliness is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. He describes the far-reaching adverse effects of loneliness that impacts many aspects of society – at work, school and in the community. The cure for loneliness? Belonging.
As Brené Brown describes it: “True belonging is not passive. It’s not the belonging that comes with just joining a group. It’s not fitting in or pretending or selling out because it’s safer. It’s a practice that requires us to be vulnerable, get uncomfortable, and learn how to be present with people without sacrificing who we are.” – Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone