After the death of his father, Giovanni, becomes the reluctant provider for his large, dependent Italian-Canadian family. As the eldest son, Giovanni sacrifices his dream of becoming a professional violinist to keep the family afloat by becoming something his father loathed about their Italian community, a mid-tier gangster.
On the day of his birthday, Giovanni discovers that his younger brother, whom he financially supports, has started selling drugs behind his back, something he tried very hard to avoid. The betrayal forces Giovanni to confront not only the growing fractures within his family, but the deep bitterness that’s taken root in his own life.
Told through a series of long, continuous takes, Pilastro immerses the viewer in the chaos of Giovanni’s world, his cluttered family home, loud gatherings, and quiet moments of reflection. It’s a deeply personal gangster story about obligation, identity, and the slow erasure of self under the weight of duty.

Being born into a family that would become immigrants opens up a whole other worldview than you’d expect. I have witnessed first hand how duty corrupts the yearning for immeasurable dreams. When paying for rent and keeping a stable income for your family becomes more important than chasing after your own desires of what? Grandeur? Creative satisfaction? In the end it doesn’t even matter.
With this film I want to reach an audience that has felt just that. You don’t have to be an immigrant of first or second generation to know what it means to give up something you wanted for yourself for the benefit of someone else.
I want people to find a bit of themselves in Gio, and maybe consider that when they are ready, their dream is still waiting for them.

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