PALMENTO

Documentary,

United Kingdom

2024

Runtime, min

The short film Palmento offers an intimate look into the winemaking traditions of Sicily’s Mount Etna region, focusing on the ancient practice of using palmenti—stone wine presses carved into volcanic rock. These structures, dating back centuries, are a testament to the island's deep-rooted viticultural heritage. The film explores how these traditional presses, once widespread across the slopes of Etna, were integral to the local wine production process, allowing generations of winemakers to ferment and press grapes in harmony with nature. In modern times, the traditional use of Palmenti has been outlawed by governmental agencies and today a group of winemakers are fighting to protect an important winemaking heritage. The spectacular images of volcanic eruptions are all filmed by cinematographer and Etna local Giuseppe Distefano.

Director:

Christopher L Barnes

Selections and Awards:

REVIEWS:

Absolutely spot on—brilliant idea, thoughtful concept, beautifully done.

Live Screenings Attendee

A very interesting, beautiful, and unhurried film that gently immerses you in the atmosphere of Etna, Sicily, and Italy. The combination of nature, ancient structures, people, sounds, voices, and music creates a feeling of an ancient winemaking culture—and even a sense of being somehow part of it.

Anastasiia Live Screenings

There are no second chances for lost traditions. The palmentos will either fade into stone relics or be reborn through rebellion. Watching this film feels like watching an old love letter, left unsent for too long.

Harper Gagné

Stone. Grape. Hands. Time. Wine. A film that understands that the land is memory, and memory must be tasted to be kept alive.

Gaspar Lombardo

Wine is time. Time is memory. Memory is identity. Palmento weaves all of this into a sensory experience that feels like drinking history itself. The fight to preserve these stone presses is not just about winemaking—it’s about who we are and what we choose to remember.

Isabella Quinn

Tradition is innovation that has withstood time. This film is not just about wine—it’s about legacy, about how ancient hands shaped the land, and how modern ones struggle to keep their touch alive. A deeply poignant look at what we lose in the name of progress.

Alfonso Triana

Palmento is a love letter to the Etna terroir, to the vines that have seen centuries, and to the stone presses that once dictated the rhythm of harvest. The visuals of volcanic landscapes and aged winemakers tell a story that no modern winery can replicate. This is wine at its most human.

Martin Ferrari