Lorenzo Zanini
Churubusco is the story of Gaetano Rizzo, an Italian immigrant, son of farmers during the pre-unification of Italy, who enlists in the Union army to fight in the war against Mexico hoping that military service will grant him a piece of land to own. In this scenario carved on hostile landscapes, populated by immoral men craving for personal glory, and racist fanatics among the American troops, Rizzo, possessing an innate survival instinct, decides to defect. Whether to join the Mexicans or go his own way, that will be that hardest choice for him. The character of Gaetano Rizzo is based on the real-life Garretson Roberts (as his name was Anglicized at Ellis Island), a U.S. soldier born in Sicily and hanged in Churubusco June 13, 1847 for desertion. This short film will be sent to major film festivals across the country and will also be part of a package to show to potential investors for the long form film of Churubusco which is in development right now.
