Watch out Hollywood! On September 7, German filmmaker Wim Wenders began shooting his latest movie in Calabria. The 3D film is set to explore the relationship between immigrants and natives in and around the medieval village of Badolato.

Does that name sound familiar to you? Well it should. Calabria’s own, Michelle of Bleeding Espresso calls this village home and rumor has it the film crew will be filming near her house all day today. Come on, Michelle … sneak in the background. We expect to see you there when the movie is released.

photo credit: Fiore S. Barbato

And speaking of just released, the Calabrian band QuartAumentata just released their fourth CD, “U Mundu Balla,” or, the world is dancing. If you’d like to add their concert to your Calabria vacation, click here to check their tour schedule.

For more information on the group, you can read this English-language interview from OnMilwaukee.com, check out their Calabrian proverb of the day-or watch this quick video from a live show they performed near Reggio Calabria.

If you want some Calabrian nibbles to go with those funky, new tunes, then check out this delicious new food blog, written and published by Calabrian-American chef, writer and tour guide, Rosetta Costantino. The idea for Calabria From Scratch was hatched in 2004 when Rosetta and her family were featured in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, an article that, ironically, I read years before virtually meeting Rosetta. Today, Rosetta stays busy teaching classes, planning her culinary tours to Calabria and writing her new Calabrian cookbook, which is scheduled for release next Fall.

Oh yea … I can’t wait to get my hands on that!

If you are in Calabria, enjoy these last few weeks of sun and surf. And to everyone else … Buon Weekend!