The Rise of ESPRESSO

The Rise of Espresso is a documentary film directed by Enrico Ventrice and produced by @accademiadelcaffeespresso, showcasing the transformation of espresso from an Italian tradition to a global cultural phenomenon. The Rise of Espresso is meant to celebrate espresso’s history and renaissance: its journey, and that of the perseverant Italians who have turned espresso into an iconic drink, passing on their passion, expertise and machines from generation to generation.  The documentary pays homage to all of them, hoping to help its viewers appreciate quality coffee, and the fascinating history of a global industry that has never stopped to explore excellence and innovation.

 

 

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A story of

PEOPLE
COFFEE &
MACHINES

A phenomenon that is intertwined with the journey and cultivation of coffee, and with how this precious crop has turned into a universal beverage, soon propelling the evolution of espresso coffee machines.

A story of

PEOPLE

 

30 individual tales of stories that cover a century of evolution. People who have undertaken challenges, left their land, rebuilt their live from scratch while, simultaneously and unconsciously, have written an entire page of history.

When the ship came in… into New York City, actually, my father was holding me by hand. Then I saw something on the ground and I picked it up. And what was it? A one-dollar bill. My father told me: “You can really find money lying on the ground over here!”

Frank Depasquale

A revolution in

COFFEE

 

Originally, a raw material that was dark roasted the way the Italians would, with a thick cream and a strong flavor, is today being re-interpreted to unveil coffee’s aromatic nuances. Yet, ever since, coffee remains a cult drink.

In 1975 I founded Coffee Connection. But we had no clue about what espresso was. At the time, we were only serving Americano Coffee. We didn’t take espresso seriously until the 80’s, a time when a couple of things occurred. I had tried an Illy espresso and I said to myself OH MY GOD, it’s truly delicious! And the other factor was Starbucks.

George Howell

An evolution of

ESPRESSO
MACHINE

 

An evolution or rather a revolution. From something being prepared at home from a Moka, to it being served in bars and restaurants, and brewed on espresso machines, that revolutionized the way we now drink coffee.

It was very difficult to find one place that made espresso coffee. So my idea, then, was that of importing coffee machines… My father was a real promoter, I think he really succeeded in educating and serving people, always offering them espresso coffee.

Di Donato family

Gallery

Creative producer
Statement

The Rise of Espresso is a collection and reconstruction of personal stories of those who have decided to leave their country in search of fortune, elsewhere. It is about those who have found in coffee, in the crop and in the machinery, a new chapter in their lives, in their careers.
The Rise of Espresso portrays the epic allure around this beverage, which - from a ritual entrenched in Italian culture and in convivial experiences - turns into a social drink to, then, become a global phenomenon over time. This leads to a rapid expansion of the coffee market and of its evolution, which eventually culminates in today’s great attention people place towards coffee as a raw material, towards the social and economic implications at origin, all the way to addressing quality control during the roasting stage and, eventually, to quality in the cup.
These worlds - that of (coffee) production and consumption, were originally very distant from each other.
These worlds have continued to talk to one another, and to interact for a shared purpose, that of making such an iconic drink, espresso coffee, increasingly more popular and sustainable around the globe.
Guido Bernardinelli
CEO La Marzocco

Director's
Statement

When I was approached to make a documentary about espresso culture, which has spread around the world thanks to Italian migrants, I was very excited. At that time I was writing a documentary about my grandfather, a migrant himself and a barista for 40 years, in love with his work and especially with his espresso machine. My grandfather – and coffee – were central to my childhood: I spent the first years of my life in his coffee bar, while my young parents finished their college degrees. My grandfather even built me a special raised platform, so that I could learn to make espresso before I was tall enough to reach the arm of the machine. I never did manage to learn how to make coffee like his, nor did I become a barista; but I learned a lot of other things from my grandfather, such as how to tell stories. He used to do it verbally, to entertain his customers. I, who was more introverted, chose to do it by being behind the camera. My grandfather’s coffee machine was, in many ways, his camera too: through it he used to communicate to his customers, and through them learned about the world… he who, apart from his years spent as a bricklayer in Switzerland in order to make enough money to buy his café, had never traveled. In many of the people in this documentary, I see glimpses of my grandfather: in their resourcefulness, initiative, creativity, passion, and self-sacrifice. All for a cup of coffee! Each one of them contributed to creating an industry that, out of Italian creativity, has given birth to a global market that now consumes more than 2 billion cups of espressobased beverages every day.
I feel honored to have taken part in such a beautiful project and I am convinced that my grandfather Raffaele, who passed away just days before Accademia Del Caffè Espresso contacted me, somehow made this possible.
Enrico Ventrice
Director

The Rise of Espresso
Roadshow 2024/2025

 

January 24th, 2025 - Lyon

On occasion of SIRHA, the La Marzocco France team will première The Rise of Espresso at Caillou Café Comptoir.

January 29th, 2025 - Florence

On occasion of the FUL MAG event (Firenze Urban Lifestyle magazine) in Accademia del Caffè Espresso, the documentary will be screened.

February 2nd, 2025 - Chicago

February 4th, 2025 - Boston

February 5th, 2025 - New York City

February 19th, 2025 - Seoul, South Korea

Movieland, 301-63 Seongsu-dong 2(i)-ga, Seongdong-gu

September 24th, 2024 - Melbourne

Italian Film Festival, Melbourne

October 1st, 2024 - Sydney & Guayaquil

Italian Film Festival, Sydney

EScoffee Lab, Guayaquil

October 9th, 2024 - Florence

Italian Première at Festival dei Popoli in Florence, Italy

October 19th, 2024 - Cape Town

African Premiere at Out of the Box, Cape Town

November 10th, 2024 - Florence

Italian Première at Festival dei Popoli in Florence, Italy

November 11th - 13th, 2024 - Berlin

European Premiere at European Coffee Symposium + CoHo, Berlin

November 15th, 2024 - Cairo

On-invitation screening at Out of the Box, Cairo (Egypt)

December 20th, 2024 - Bucharest

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