BEAVER COUNTY RADIO
SEWICKLEY — In 1943, Italian prisoners of war captured in North Africa and Sicily ended up at Letterkenny Army Depot outside of Chambersburg, Pa. Their fairly short stay left an impact on that region that is still felt today.
That’s the topic of an award-winning documentary, “Fedeltà. Soldier. Prisoner,” making its Pittsburgh area debut Sept. 3 at the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley.
The film’s maker, military veteran Steve Mancini, a native of Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood, will attend, hosting a Q&A session as part of the 7:30 p.m. screening.
Mancini appeared as a Thursday guest on the “Beaver County Radio Morning Show with Scott Tady.”
Hear his full interview here:
As part of the Lindsay’s latest Emerging Filmmakers Showcase, “Fedeltà. Soldier. Prisoner.” is an internationally acclaimed film. Tickets are free, and RSVPs are recommended in advance due to space limitations.
“The film shows that the people of Chambersburg were so kind that to this day, the families of the prisoners still make trips to visit,” says Mancini. “It’s a way of remembering their fathers and grandfathers, and also a display of appreciation because of how kindly those communities treated their fathers and grandfathers.”
“Fedeltà” chronicles the prisoners’ journey from war to peace, leveraging original documents and footage from numerous sources. It’s a moving and hopeful film that depicts how this difficult situation turned into a prime example of community-building that left a lasting, positive mark on Chambersburg.
“After more than 80 years, people who have never been here still speak well of our community,” says Mancini. “How incredible is that!”
Mancini spent 20 years in the military before returning home to Pittsburgh. In addition to filmmaking, he hosts two podcasts—Talking Business and Life (formerly Italian Impact Weekly) and The Unlikely Catholic— and serves as an assistant professor of computer and information systems at Robert Morris University.
His formative years in Pittsburgh’s Little Italy inspired him to pursue documentary projects such as “Fedeltà.” The film has already earned numerous festival honors, including Best Feature Documentary at Dallas MovieFest; Best First Time Director at the 2025 Bomarzo Soulplace Film Festival; and both Best Director Debut and Best Historical Film at the 2024-25 Beyond the Screen Film Festival.
“Fedeltà” premiered in Chambersburg, and this Lindsay screening will be Western Pennsylvania filmgoers’ first chance to watch Mancini’s work on the big screen.
“The film shows that even during our worst moments, kindness and goodness can still be found,” says Mancini. “This is a deeply personal lesson that everyone should remember. Seeing it in a theater is a wonderful way to get people together, looking across the aisle and seeing others—hopefully in an even better light.”