14. Pinky and the Kids
2019
Illustrated poster
For a the short documentary Pinky and The Kids
Pinky and the Kids is a short documentary that tells the story of Pinky Singh, a charismatic Indian man who makes a home for himself and his family in Monesiglio, Piedmont, a small town in northern Italy. Pinky finds a sense of purpose while working at the local cheese farm and fosters meaningful friendships with both humans and goats.
Pinky’s daily routine involves looking after a herd of goats at the Cora Formaggi farm, making sure they are fed, milked, and in good health. In addition to learning about his day-to-day routines and getting a glimpse into the inner workings of a traditional Italian goat cheese farm, we also learn about the experience of Pinky as an individual, through his relationships with his family, his employers—the Cora family—and the locals in that make up the ancient town of Monesiglio (population 600). By examining the minutia of Pinky’s daily life, we understand the difficulties of starting over in a new environment and explore the impact this relocation has had on Pinky, his family, and their newfound friends.
Pinky represents the immigrant experience in a larger sense, taking risks motivated by optimism for the future and testing one’s resiliency in the process. By examining the intimate details of Pinky’s life, we echo the larger human experience, the struggle of the forging a new life in an unfamiliar culture. Pinky embodies the struggle of being out of place, separate from the mainstream, and this struggle challenges his ability to thrive. His story represents the experience of millions of immigrants worldwide.