Sicily: Land of Love and Strife: A Filmmaker's Journey

by Mark Spano

Land of Love and Strife, A Filmmaker's Journey reveals the process by which Mark Spano was able to capture on film the island nation’s natural beauty, its passionate people and epic human struggles, the depth and diversity of its culture, the philosophic insights that originated there, and its wealth of historic sites – all facets of Sicily that have been obscured by the mysterious country’s association with organized crime. Spano invites the reader to follow him on his quest to celebrate the real Sicily and, therefore, change public perception of his family’s homeland.

130 pages, Paperback

Published September 18, 2018

About the author

Mark Spano’s feature documentary “Sicily: Land of Love and Strife” recently aired on KCPT Public Television and has had a limited theatrical release in the US and Canada. It was warmly received at the Toronto Italian Film Festival and has aired on selected public television stations and in E.U. markets. He has also published a companion book to his film. Both are available on Amazon.com.
He is presently developing two programs, one on the participation of African-American soldiers in the Civil War and another on Sicilian wines.
Mark’s novel, a page-turning murder mystery entitled Midland Club, was recently published by Thunderfoot Press. Midland Club has received two awards and significant critical acclaim. The book is available on Amazon.com.
In January 2018, he adapted Midland Club for the screen at an artist’s residency in Seaside, Florida. He is presently putting together a development team for the film “Midland Club.”
Mark is also is a contributing editor for the online magazine Times of Sicily. His fiction and reviews frequently appear in Ovunque Siamo.
A current list of all the short fiction, nonfiction articles, and book reviews that Mark has had published is available on his website under the title Short Works.
For more than 12 years, he has operated his own business, Mark Spano Communications, Inc., through which he produced “Carolina Countryside,” a weekly public television series. After airing across North Carolina, Discovery Home and Leisure picked up the series for national broadcast.
Mark Spano also produced, directed, and written the following television programs:
• “The Quality of Light: A Biography of Claude Howell,” as part of a television series in cooperation with Preservation North Carolina. Narrated by Charlie Rose.
• Several successful pledge specials for public television.
• Live events for television,
• Corporate marketing videos,
• A variety of television and radio spots for retail advertising, political candidates, and public service announcements.
For the greater portion of his career, Spano has been actively engaged in securing funding for film, television, community, and art projects.
He holds advanced degrees from Marymount University of Virginia and the American University in Washington, D.C. He now resides in rural Orange County, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Kristina]

DNF at 40%

This is more a memoir about the author than actually about Sicily. He also has to constantly tell us he's gay and what that looks like for him...

[Stephen Tubbs]

A companion publication to a documentary film - okay but little coverage of anything in any depth.