Fioretta

If you have a genealogical history like Randol Shoenberg then you are counted among royalty of family history. He is a part of a far flung and highly noted family who leave traces all across Europe way back through Austria, Prague, Florence and Venice, to name just a few locations. For most of us it's impossible to trace a jewish family much farther back than 5 generations at the most. This is a highly personal but nonetheless moving piece of film making, tracing that journey, chasing down documents and gravestones, and new familial relationships. Very watchable. One of the interesting aspects if his relationship with his 18 year old son, along as his wingman, who suffers his role with initially mild but always tolerant, loving and politely affectionate interest and ends up with an enriched understanding of his father's passion.

Genealogy, music, food, diasporic Jewish history, father-son bonding, compelling travels in the most beautiful cities of Europe: this delightful documentary film traces the search for the grave of a family's oldest known ancestor, the elusive "Fioretta." The search takes us through locales both elegant and humble in Vienna, Prague, Venice and elsewhere, into crumbling, sprawling, aging cemeteries, family homes, and historical archives, all framed by a poignant father-son connection with a few tangential sidetrips into food, tailoring, and music. The protagonists are the grandson and great-grandson of renowned musician Arnold Schoenberg. So, this family is perhaps a bit more notable historically than many, but Randy Schoenberg's relentless devotion to documenting his family history is an inspiration to us all, especially to those of us who toy around with family-history. Bravo, well done.