Documentaries are a film genre that is one of my least viewed. I don’t have an issue with it, but typically don’t find myself drawn to the genre unless it’s discussing a topic I find particularly interesting. As a result, I found it quite difficult to evaluate Fioretta but still found it engaging at times. Fioretta is a film by Mathew Mishory and chronicles the genealogical history of the Schoenberg family. Specifically, Fioretta focuses on the journey of Randy and his son Joey as they dive deep into the family history while traveling across Europe.

When we first meet Randy we learn he has been passionate about genealogy from a young age, no doubt due to the wealth of information he was able to easily uncover surrounding his immediate family. Randy’s grandfather, Arnold Schoenberg was a relatively well-known painter and musician. He is considered a highly influential figure within the expressionist art movement in the early 20th century. However, in a surprise move the film doesn’t focus much on this aspect which I feel is somewhat of an oversight.

Having never previously heard of Arnold Schoenberg, I would have appreciated some background and insight regarding his life. I was curious if the family had any interesting stories or heirlooms to share regarding him. When I delved into my own family history for school projects, I found I was most interested in learning about the generations who were most closely related to me.  Thus, I was somewhat disappointed Fioretta focuses much more on exploring the ancient past.

Fortunately for the Schoenbergs, they have such a rich history that my interest was maintained for most of the runtime. The story begins in Austria and transitions to Czechia (the Czech Republic) before finally ending in Italy. We explore a variety of Europe’s biggest cultural centers such as the streets of Prague, and the canals of Venice, to the Florence coastline.

As with most families of European descent, the impact of World War II forced people to establish new lives in a variety of places. The Schoenberg’s Jewish heritage unfortunately led to years of painful stories resulting from the atrocities of the Holocaust. I admire how this aspect of the story is handled. Randy’s dedication and activism in preserving the history of his people will no doubt benefit many others within the Jewish community.

Another strong aspect of Fioretta is the overall cinematography. In addition to solid camera work, the production team makes creative use of actors to bring certain past events to life. For example, as Randy recounts a first meeting with a distant relative in Europe, the visuals recreate the scene using young actors. It’s a nice touch that helps to drive home one of the major themes of the film, which is the bond of shared heritage.

Randy has been able to track down relatives living in various places and unite them all through his passion for the family history. It’s a heart-warming and powerful message that comes through beautifully as we watch distant cousins share meals together and swap stories. It’s also quite interesting to see how the family has maintained a love of art and music over the centuries. Randy’s Venetian cousin, Serena Nono, is also a painter just as Arnold was. Additionally, the family uncovers tapestries and paintings from other ancestors on the journey.

Although the core messages of the film are conveyed well, I do think it may have been helpful to include some graphical aids. There are dozens of names thrown at you in rapid succession across the two-hour runtime and it can be hard to keep the various members of the Schoenberg family straight. I desperately was in need of a family tree by the time the story shifts towards Italy in pursuit of relatives living during the 15th century.

I also think the story of the film suffers a bit from the vast knowledge held by our main characters. From the moment we are introduced to him, Randy already knows a lot about his family history. Thus, there’s a distinct lack of unexpected revelations and this makes for less entertainment value. Some viewers might not have an issue with this but I personally enjoy how genealogy can sometimes lead you to places you might not expect.

Overall, this is still a well-made documentary and I think if you enjoy learning about history you’ll have a good time with Fioretta. The director was able to tell a touching narrative surrounding a family with an important place in history. Through expressive scene structure and shot composition, Mishory illustrates the depth of shared heritage as people come together despite growing up miles apart, speaking different languages, and even living in different times.

An advanced screening of Fioretta was provided by Rubber Ring Films for the purposes of this review.

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Fioretta

6.5

Score

6.5/10

Pros

• Strong themes
• Creative cinematography
• Rich historical elements

Cons

• Names upon names
• Some areas needed more details