What documentary about his Italian-American heritage did Scorsese direct in 1974?

Italianamerican is the 1974 documentary Martin Scorsese made about his Italian-American heritage and family background. The short film features his parents, Catherine and Charles Scorsese, discussing their lives as children of Italian immigrants in New York City.

Much of the documentary unfolds over dinner in the Scorseses’ Elizabeth Street apartment. Martin asks his parents about family history, religion, marriage, Italian ancestors, life in postwar Italy, and the hardships faced by Sicilian immigrants trying to build a life in America. Catherine also demonstrates how she makes meatballs, and the recipe appears in the end credits.

Scorsese developed the idea after returning from the Cannes Film Festival, where Mean Streets had been presented. Six hours of footage were shot over two days, and Scorsese edited the documentary while also working on Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

The title is sometimes confused with American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince, another Scorsese documentary short. Italianamerican is the specifically autobiographical film centered on Scorsese’s parents and family identity.