On Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, Dr. Santo D. Marabella, a former professor of Management at Moravian University, presented his film “Il Mio Posto a Tavola” (“My Place at the Table”) to an audience of Moravian University students, staff, and faculty members in PPHAC 116.
The documentary tells the story of Marabella’s adoption from Italy in the “Baby Scoop Era,” a period from the 1940s to the 1970s when the Catholic Church and state pressured unmarried mothers to give their babies up for adoption. Blending reflections on his first encounter with his family in Italy with footage of present-day reunions, the film centers on Marabella’s “journey to belonging” as he uncovers how his personal history intersects with the larger history of Italy.
The film begins with Marabella’s reflections on his adoption by Italian-American parents.
Marabella was born in Aosta, a city in northwestern Italy, and taken care of in a “brefotrofio,” an institution where nuns cared for abandoned children. He eventually went to New York for adoption, where his adoptive parents picked him up. Though he was grateful for his family and life as a professor and playwright, Marabella says that feelings of loneliness followed him. Looking at the past, Marabella describes his search for his family when he was nineteen.
Though his Italian was rudimentary, with the help of John Campetelli, another adoptee from Italy dedicated to helping others research their history, he was able to visit Aosta’s town hall to obtain his siblings’ address. Revisiting the town hall, he stated, “sometimes … we create the opportunities or we say no … and I wanted to find them.”
Marabella was able to locate and reunite with his family 20 years ago. Since then, he suffered the devastating loss of his adoptive parents and dog, Raffi. After reflecting on their loss in the film, Marabella describes his plan to revisit Italy, hoping to invite both his American friends and Italian family to share a dinner.
Back in Italy, the film features a moving scene where he reunites with his older siblings Francesca and Mimo, embracing and laughing with them after being apart for so long. Marabella also documents his effort to locate his younger sister, Grazia, and his successful reconnection with his niece, Maria, the daughter of his younger brother, Michele.
One of the most shocking moments of the film is a scene where his siblings reveal that Marabella’s mother, Assunta, didn’t intentionally give him up.
Around the table, Francesca describes how Marabella’s delivery was difficult, and Assunta had to be put to sleep. In that time, Marabella’s incubator was hidden, and Assunta was told upon her waking that Marabella had died during birth.
It’s a pivotal moment in Marabella’s journey, leading him to exclaim, “I feel like the church and the state stole my life twice.” After a difficult conversation about forgiveness with the bishop of the Valle d’Aosta, the film ultimately ends with a touching dinner scene as Marabella shares a meal with his friends and family from both Italy and the United States.
Though Marabella still has questions, he has indeed found his place at the table.
After the film ended, Marabella hosted a talkback where audience members had the opportunity to ask questions.
One viewer, noting that the film used subtitles in some scenes, asked Marabella how he and his team decided when to use subtitles. Marabella explained that the subtitles were the director, Tracy Schott’s idea. Where present, subtitles often offer summaries to avoid overwhelming the audience with text. However, their absence in certain scenes was reflective of Tracy’s desire for the audience to “struggle with” Marabella as he navigated the language barrier.
A student asked how the presence of the camera and crew affected his interactions. Marabella responded that respect and consent were essential to him throughout the filmmaking process. Everyone in the film was asked if they wanted to participate and were made aware of the cameras. However, as a documentary, there was no acting and conversations aren’t scripted.
Another audience member asked Marabella about his decision to have his friend Tracy Schott direct the film.
Marabella responded that he knew how to “stay in his lane.” If the film were a theater production, he may have decided to direct, but the documentary format wasn’t one he was familiar with. On another level, he wanted the film’s story to be bigger than him, not just a “vanity project.” He had been working with Schott for 16 years, and having her direct provided a necessary outside perspective on his story.
According to Marabella, the film hasn’t done well in film festivals; however, his idea of success is “getting it out there to people for whom it will resonate,” and there are other methods for doing so. Ultimately, Moravian University was the first college where Marabella shared his film.
When asked about the film, Michael Romero, a senior majoring in Computer Science and Math, stated that he found the film really interesting and noted a couple of points that shocked him.
He was especially struck by Marabella’s unsuccessful quest to find his sister, stating, “That was really sad.”
“If I were the sister, I personally would love to learn more about my family … I’d want to get to know somebody who went through all this work just to get to know me.” He also expressed admiration for Marabella’s dedication to uncovering the details of his adoption.
Also in attendance was Dr. Bob Brill, a professor in Moravian’s psychology department and a close friend of Marabella. Having known Marabella for over three decades as both a professional and a friend, he found it fascinating to see his story told in a documentary format. “To see this packaged, the way he’s done it in collaboration with so many wonderful folks … and clearly a labor of love,” Brill said, “I’m just so happy for him and so proud of him.”
