As a fan of San Jose historical past, it was an actual deal with to observe “A Little Fellow: The Legacy of A.P. Giannini,” which had its premiere on the Cinequest movie pageant on Thursday evening. The documentary explores the lifetime of the founding father of the Financial institution of Italy, which later turned the Financial institution of America, and the title comes from his repute for serving to out the “little guy” that different banks would ignore.
The Hammer Theatre Heart was packed for the screening, and the viewers included not solely present Financial institution of America executives and workers, but in addition descendants of Giannini and leaders from San Jose’s Italian-American group.
Davide Fiore, director of “A Little Fellow: The Legacy of A.P. Giannini,” talks to filmgoers after the documentary’s premiere in the course of the Cinequest movie pageant on the Hammer Theatre Heart on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Space Information Group)
In 1904, Giannini based the Financial institution of Italy, which turned the Financial institution of America in 1930. Native historical past buffs know that whereas the financial institution began in San Francisco, its first department exterior that metropolis was in San Jose (and a reproduction of that department is at Historical past Park). And one in every of San Jose’s most well-known landmark buildings continues to be the Financial institution of Italy tower on the nook of First and Santa Clara streets.
Famously, he helped San Francisco rebuild following the 1906 earthquake and hearth by offering money loans when different banks have been nonetheless closed. However the movie contains numerous historical past that’s much less well-known, reminiscent of Giannini’s financing of Walt Disney’s “Snow White” and different Disney movies, his monetary participation within the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and the way he allowed ladies to open accounts with out their husbands’ names on them. Frank Capra even primarily based the character of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life” on the community-minded banker, who died in 1949.
Cinequest co-founder Kathleen Powell, far left, interviews Davide Fiore, second from left, and different members of the manufacturing staff behind “A Little Fellow: The Legacy of A.P. Giannini” on the Hammer Theatre Heart on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Space Information Group)
Raquel Gonzalez, president of Financial institution of America Silicon Valley, mentioned Giannini’s legacy is one in every of service and innovation.
“He was the person who said whether they’re merchants or immigrants, Bank of America is going to be the bank of the little people. So he served everyone,” she mentioned throughout a pre-screening reception at Scott’s Seafood in downtown San Jose. “Today, over 100 years later, our entire team lives that legacy. We still live by what he believed.”
Director Davide Fiore mentioned he turned inquisitive about Giannini’s story when he moved to San Francisco and began work on the movie in 2017 — solely to be interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He mentioned he hadn’t even been in touch with the Giannini household when his spouse noticed A.P. Giannini’s 1933 Lincoln being pushed in a San Francisco parade. She chased down the automobile — which is now maintained by former Financial institution of America Senior Vice President Randy Welch — and found two of Giannini’s granddaughters using in it.
Each of them — Virginia Hammerness and Anne McWilliams (who died in 2024) — seem within the movie speaking about their reminiscences of their grandfather, together with Duncan Knowles, a retired historian for Financial institution of America, and the late Alessandro Baccari, a buddy of the Giannini household.
Architect Sal Caruso, who watched the screening along with his spouse, Josephine, mentioned Gianni’s repute within the Italian American group remained robust many years after his loss of life, recalling that when he returned to america from Italy as a younger man within the Nineteen Eighties, his mother and father insisted he maintain all his cash with Financial institution of America.
Caruso designed the Museum and Cultural Heart in Little Italy, which incorporates an space dedicated to Giannini’s historical past. He mentioned the group plans to have one other screening of “A Little Fellow” this fall earlier than the annual Little Italy Pageant, and there are additionally plans within the works to have it screened on the Italian American Heritage Basis’s Household Festa at Historical past Park this summer time.
COMING ATTRACTIONS: There are lots extra motion pictures to see at Cinequest because it rounds into its second week in downtown San Jose. One which’ll absolutely have numerous native curiosity is “American Agitators,” filmmaker Raymond Telles’ documentary in regards to the lifetime of Fred Ross, who based the Neighborhood Service Group within the Forties in Los Angeles. Ross branched out to San Jose within the Nineteen Fifties, the place he met and mentored a younger Cesar Chavez, and later met Dolores Huerta in Fresno.
With all of the political upheaval round immigration, it’s definitely a well timed movie, and you’d count on its world premiere — Sunday at 6:45 p.m. on the California Theatre — to be a full home, so arrive early. Get extra data, together with the total Cinequest lineup and ticket data at www.cinequest.org.
THE BARD AND A BEER: I used to be thrilled to see Silicon Valley Shakespeare is bringing again a free “ShakesBEERience” staged studying of “Hamlet” on March 23. And it’s nice to see it’s occurring at a pure place to seize a beer, Strike Brewing Co. at 2099 S. tenth St. in San Jose. The performers anticipated to take the stage at 6 p.m. embody Drew Benjamin Jones, Valerie Castro-Singer, Doll Piccotto, Jeff Kramer and Jim Reber.
And, positive, “Hamlet” is a tragedy, however I’m positive after a few beers, even “To be or not to be” might draw fun. Go to www.svshakespeare.org for extra data.
A mural by artist Nick Sirotich was added the wall exterior City Putt, depicting a number of the uncommon points of interest contained in the restaurant and minigolf facility. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Space Information Group)
In the meantime, City Putt — the ultra-cool restaurant and minigolf course on the Paseo constructing downtown — has dramatically improved its visibility with a colourful new mural painted by Nick Sirotich surrounding its entrance on South First Avenue. The mural artistically renders a number of the uncommon holes that gamers will discover alongside the course and completely breaks up the grey wall. Discuss a hole-in-one.
Bear in mind, although, that every one the indicators and murals aren’t going to make it loads simpler to drive round components of downtown this week with GTC, the massive Nvidia convention, going down. Each San Carlos Avenue and Park Avenue shall be closed between Market Avenue and Almaden Boulevard till March 22, and Market is closed heading south round Plaza de Cesar Chavez (one northbound lane across the park shall be open for the Signia resort).
