Director's Statement

I was asked at the last minute to fill in when a photographer had to cancel a workshop he was leading for Michael Mele and Linda Mironti through their speciality travel business, Il Chiostro. It was this week that started the incubation of my documentary on "Il Chiostro". I have run and participated in workshops, but never had I seen the coming together of a group of people that I did that week.

In the course of the week Michael and Linda told stories about themselves, their love of Italy, their lives before Il Chiostro, and the beginnings of Il Chiostro. Linda presented a cabaret show to the group. I heard stories from various workshop participants about other Il Chiostro workshops they had attended, and about the "change" in participants during these workshops. What is called the "Il Chiostro Experience" by both participants and instructors.

It so happens that I was finishing an edit on a documentary and was looking around for my next documentary film and thought a story about Il Chiostro might be a possibility. I approached Michael and Linda with my ideas around this documentary, to follow them for a year in both Italy and New York, where they live when not operating their workshops in Italy. Filming a documentary like this one would be an intrusion into their lives. It would only work if I was able to film "behind the scenes," the everyday activites of both the workshops and their organization, the running and decision-making of Il Chiostro. At the same time their successful business ran into a stone wall, an economic downturn in America, and this affected people traveling to Europe and spending money on "Art workshops." They had a real concern if their business would survive this economic recession.

As an documentary filmmaker, it had all the possibilities of a good story, a story where the final outcome was not known. A story that could end in the death of or the redesign of a business, and the end of a love affair with Italy. A story about real people, real life, and an uncertain future.

- Bill Woolf

Michael Mele Short Biography

Michael studied mathematics in college planning to become a high school teacher, but left that path behind to pursue his real love, dancing. His parents were both dancers so Michael moved to NY to begin his own career. For the next 12 years he studied and danced in musicals all around the US, eventually becoming a respected choreographer.

The life of a professional dancer is short so he shifted gears trying to fit into the corporate world. It didn't suit him very well and after 5 years, when there were still some embers of passion left in his soul, he took off for a year of travel. It was during that year, while sitting on a hillside in Tuscany, that he hatched the idea of setting up a restorative place where his friends could come to be creative.

He spent the next years working part-time and developing himself as a writer. He published many articles on tea and travel, then published his children's book, "A Gift for the Contessa" illustrated by TV actor Ron Palillo.

In 1995, when he met Linda and they did their first season of Il Chiostro in Tuscany, he knew that his tender idea of a place for creativity could flourish.

When not in Italy, Michael lives with his partner Andy Holtzman in Manhattan.

Linda Mironti Short Biography

Linda’s first voice teacher was her Grandmother Angelina, who taught her Italian folk songs at the same time showing her how to make homemade gnocchi and pasta. In the 3rd grade Linda made her solo debut in Mrs. Springer’s music class concert and from then on she followed her passion for music through college and to New York City.

In the 1980’s she went to Italy where she starred in TV shows, made recordings, and performed concert tours from Milan to Sicily. Ironically, for the 7 years she performed in Italy she sang mostly blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and original pop material; she wrote lyrics for herself and many other artists. It was not until her return to New York City in the mid 1990’s that she was able to include her favorite Italian songs in her performances.

Following the recipe from her grandmother’s kitchen, food was love, and making good food was her passion. She attended The Art Institute of New York formerly The New York Restaurant School and cooking became another form of artistic expression for her.

In 1995 Linda and her business partner Michael started Il Chiostro. Here she was able to combine both of her passions, her love for Italy (the food, the wine, and the people), and singing.