Plot

Post WWII Australia opened its doors to European migration and in doing so, welcomed waves of Italians with the promise of a better life. They arrived and found home in a street that assumed the name 'Little Italy'. Unsettled Australians looked on as the passionate migrants with a touch of flair, introduced unconventional coffee, pizza and wine. It all began to appear in Melbourne and unknowingly, Lygon Street sparked a cultural revolution. From the first 'Aussie' pizza to the last illegal card game, the pioneers of a small suburb of Melbourne, take us on their journey. 'Lygon - si parla Italiano'.—Anonymous

Post World War 2 Australia flung open its doors to anyone willing to come and European migrants flocked from their war-torn homeland. One in six of these were Italians with the promise of a better life. Instead, they found themselves alone in peculiar surroundings and face-to-face with real Aus- sies. Fearing what they didnt understand, Australians were suspicious of the new arrivals. Coffee made from odd machines and a food called Pizza were all things to be wary of but it wouldnt deter the passionate migrants. Simply, they re-created all the things they missed from home in one par- ticular street of a rundown Melbourne suburb. It was a blank canvas and in time, this small strip of shops would become many and assume the name Little Italy. Narrated by Anthony LaPaglia and told by the pioneers of Lygon Street, Lygon Street Si parla Italiano explores the unique circumstances that fostered an Italian scene that exploded and transformed a countrys way of living.