Luisanna Messeri's journey through Maremma at the Clorofilla Film Festival - Saturday, August 4th at Festambiente in Rispescia

After the first public screening in Castiglione della Pescaia and its television debut on Food Network, "Te la do io la Toscana" , the documentary by and starring Luisanna Messeri dedicated to the Maremma will be the protagonist on Saturday 8 August of the Clorofilla Film Festival, the historic film festival promoted by Legambiente which for twenty-five years has been part of Festambiente in Rispescia (GR) , the national event of the environmentalist association scheduled from 5 to 9 August in the Maremma Park.

The screening is part of a twenty-five-year-old festival program featuring documentaries on environmental and social issues, insights into the Maremma region, and theatrical performances prior to the screenings. This is a particularly significant setting for a project that explores the Tuscan region through the people who live there, protect it, and pass it on.

A longtime face of Italian television, author, and promoter of Italian cuisine, agricultural and food traditions, and local areas, Luisanna Messeri climbs into her Citroën Mehari, the same one she drove as a girl, along with her inseparable dog Bacco, to cross the Maremma in search of the people, places, and traditions that reflect its character.

More than a documentary about the Maremma, it's a fun, exciting, and often moving journey, experienced through the people who guard the heart of this land every day.

Following the thread of food and dining culture, Luisanna Messeri meets men and women who tell the story of Maremma through their work and their lives. From historian Zeffiro Ciuffoletti, who leads the audience on a journey through Etruscan civilization, to olive oil expert Alessandro Tincani, standing before the evocative Olivo della Strega (Witches' Olive Tree) in Magliano, to Orbetello fisherman Sergio Amenta, known as "il Topo" (Topo), to beekeeper Massimo Mancini from Tirli, to Tommaso Ciuffoletti, who presents Maremma wines in Grosseto, to Giovanni Grossi and Donatella Ciofani of the Alberese Regional Winery, where the journey encounters the "butteri," the last remaining "homegrown" cowboys.

The journey continues with Valeria Piccini, chef of the Caino restaurant in Montemerano; Paolo Fanciulli, a symbol of the fight against trawling in Talamone; raw milk cheesemaker Angela Saba; and chef Alessia Morabito, who, along with Paolo Chiappini, narrate the tradition of Maremma tortelli at the historic and renovated MeQ covered market in Follonica. The journey also stops in Massa Marittima, the artistic capital of the Maremma, where Luisanna meets the Società dei Terzieri with its captain Soldatini, and then concludes with the Briganti di Maremma and their folk songs, for an intense and moving finale that will thrill the audience.

Luisanna Messeri will also be present at the screening, introducing the documentary by describing the birth of a project destined to become a multi-stage journey through Tuscany's most authentic locations.

"I love these Maremma people: gruff yet gentle, tough yet sweet, just like their land," says Luisanna Messeri. "When I began to imagine this documentary, I immediately realized I didn't want to tell the story of Tuscany through a list of places or products. I wanted to explore its soul. Through a beekeeper, a fisherman, a farmer, a cook, or a winemaker, you discover much more than a region: you discover the people who bring it to life. This is the spirit of the project, and it will also be the spirit of the upcoming installments, dedicated to other places in Tuscany."

"Te la do io la Toscana" is the first chapter of the "Ritorno in Toscana" project, designed to showcase the region's many facets. Because, as the Maremma demonstrates, every territory has a different story to tell, and it's the people who make it unforgettable and unique.

The documentary began its public tour with a full screening in Castiglione della Pescaia , while an abridged version has already aired on Food Network and is also available for streaming on discovery . The Clorofilla Film Festival event represents a new stage in this journey, placing it within one of the most important Italian festivals dedicated to environmental and socially committed cinema.

The first episode of Te la do io la Toscana was supported by Vetrina Toscana .

The program is produced by Bibi Film TV Srl for Warner Bros. Discovery .