An Italian photographer who recently moved to Donegal has found so much to love about the northwest that he is recording a series to celebrate the county.
Giulio Giampellegrini is in love with the village of Ramelton, the mountains of Donegal, the way of life, but most of all, he loves the people.
Giulio loves the people so much that he has decided to use his photography and videography skills to capture and preserve their stories.
His new project, Stories from Donegal, features the workers, the makers and crafters of the county. From weaver William McNutt to feltmaker Michelle McKee, he celebrates the intricate nature of their talents and hears their personal stories.
“The creation of these raw heart warming stories have taken me up hills, through by-ways and into the most unexpected places with such delight,” said Giulio.
An unexpected turn of events brought Giulio to the north west. He was raised in Northern Italy and studied photography in Milan before moving to Tuscany. He plied his trade in Australia, but a cruel twist of administrative fate denied him a full citizenship.
Moving to Ireland, Giulio found his home-from-home in Donegal.
“I fell in love with the people, they speak to me and they listened to me,” Giulio told Donegal Daily.
Giulio Giampellegrini
Giulio started his film project to save the memories of the ‘lovely people’ here.
He works for free while re-establishing himself as a photographer and digital media content creator. Some of his previous photos have been published in Vogue Italia.
“As a photographer I want to deliver my best, it doesn’t matter about money.
“I wanted to share a new culture about quality, about patience,” he said.
Not so patient with his own art, Giulio dedicates just one week on each project.
“I only ask a person for one day. My goal is to produce the story in less that one week because the best filmmakers in the world do that,” he said.
Coaxing stories from introverted craftspeople can be a challenge, but Giulio says he connects with his subjects through being naturally shy himself.
“I love to discover the person, the human being behind the professional,” he said.
The first collection of videos are shared on Guilio’s website storiesfromdonegal.com and Youtube Seanchaí, Stories from Donegal
“The more the channel is seen, the more the storyteller’s work is shared. The biggest gift I can give these people is the chance to increase their presence online. We don’t speak about products or prices. We give the story,” Giulio said.
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He is inviting any other local creatives to get in contact if they want to feature in the series.
As for Giulio, he hopes to continue telling stories and hopefully get a work permit in Ireland, to stay in the place where he has found happiness.
He said: “I think in my past life maybe I’ve been to Donegal. I have found here my kindred spirit. I am in a good mood here. From my home I see the ocean, the sheep, the land and I love it.
“I am establishing connections with lovely people. If I can work, I would love to stay and maybe one day create my family here.”
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