The docu-film “Memorabilia – A Family Story”, directed by Giovanni E. Morassutti, is more than just a historical documentary; it is a profound investigation into the social soul of post-war Italian entrepreneurship. The work is capturing the attention of the public and critics alike, reviving the legacy of the Paolo Morassutti company, a giant in hardware and housewares that pioneered a business model based on “ethical capitalism” and comprehensive employee welfare.
Giovanni E. Morassutti, a versatile Italian actor, director, and cultural entrepreneur born in Padua in 1980, brings a unique perspective to this family history. Known for his exceptional training in Method Acting, he studied intensively in New York at the Actors Studio, where his work was shaped by figures like Susan Strasberg. He has maintained a significant collaboration for over two decades with John Strasberg, the son of Lee Strasberg, a foundational figure in the American acting school. This background is evidenced by Morassutti’s contribution of a preface to the Italian edition of John Strasberg’s book, Per scelta per caso: Oltre l’Actors Studio (2016). Morassutti also holds a diploma from the prestigious Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (CSC) in Rome.
Morassutti delves into his family’s roots to recount an era when business was synonymous with community. He highlights how the most symbolic element of this “family spirit” was the company’s internal Stable Theatre Company, which performed in various branches, including Naples, unifying employees through culture. “The corporate dream was a collective dream,” explains the director. Through the film, Morassutti draws an ideal parallel between this philanthropic theatrical tradition and his own international artistic path. The film not only celebrates the past but reflects—through a palpable nostalgia for this “happy island”—on the enduring importance of cultivating human values and solidarity, sharply contrasting with contemporary individualism.
The narrative focuses on the golden age of the 1960s, when the Morassutti company, with Friulian roots dating back to the eighteenth century and headquarters established in Padua since 1867, was among the first in Italy to develop self-service store chains and to anticipate the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility with thousands of employees.
Beyond his artistic career, Morassutti is actively engaged in social activism and sustainability. He serves as the national coordinator for the global Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA) movement, using theatre as a vehicle to raise public awareness about the climate crisis. His commitment is further realized through the founding and management of Art Aia – Creatives / In / Residence, an international artists’ residency in Friuli Venezia Giulia. This space, dedicated to creative research and sustainable projects, was also the location for his first docu-film, Personal Dream Space (2021), focusing on the history of Method Acting and the Organic Creative Process.
The film’s emotional reach is confirmed by testimonies gathered nationwide, created in collaboration with the CSC – Archivio Nazionale Cinema d’Impresa of Ivrea, La Cineteca del Friuli, and La Fondazione Archivio Audiovisivo del Movimento Operaio e Democratico. From Udine, the memory emerges of the total mobilization of personnel for an emergency blood donation, a gesture of solidarity that transcended the employer-employee relationship. In Rome, the Via Merulana store is remembered as the place where a witness’s parents met. In Genoa and Mantua, former employees and customers experience the film as an opportunity to recognize themselves and pass on a piece of their collective history. The documentary does not omit the bitter epilogue: the sudden sale in the 1970s and the subsequent absorption by the La Rinascente Group, an event linked to the “toxic finance” of the era, notably connected to Michele Sindona. Produced by Domenico Morassutti, “Memorabilia” is a work that, thanks to the deep personal and professional sensitivity of Giovanni E. Morassutti, transcends mere corporate history, transforming into a profound reflection on the critical importance of the sense of belonging in a world of work that is increasingly fragmented.
