Lights, camera, caffeinate.
Martin Scorsese took a break from the director’s chair to step in front of the camera for a change for Lavazza’s new branded miniseries Family Blend celebrating “the magic of coffee.” True to its title, Scorsese isn’t alone in the project as it’s directed by and co-starring his daughter, Francesca Scorsese. A few other famous faces help fill out the five-episode project, including Jason Biggs and Adrien Brody.
There’s a lot of blending going on, too, in the locations and content as Francesca filmed the branded series in places that have helped shape her father’s life and creative efforts, like the Little Italy neighborhood in New York and his own virtual production center in Brooklyn. Per Lavazza, the series is meant to explore “the deep bond, shared memories and passing of the torch between two artistic visions” with coffee playing a prominent role. But they also get a playful assist from familial banter.
“The Family Blend series shows how coffee acts as a universal bridge, bringing together different stories and creative visions,” said Lavazza Group chief marketing officer Carlo Colpo of the project, which aligns with the brand’s communication platform “Pleasure Makes Us Human.” “With this project, we are thrilled to portray coffee as a cultural gesture that spans generations and languages, serving as a meeting point for creativity and identity. The collaboration with Martin and Francesca Scorsese brings to life a unique dialogue that blends the depth of cinematic language with modern digital formats.”
Credit for Family Blend goes to Romilda De Luca of RDL Worldwide/Publicis Group and Lisa Frechette of Sikelia Productions. Propagate Content produced the series with Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Drew Buckley producing on behalf of that company. Maruri Group helped develop the creative vision with support from Joey Payne.
The first episode dropped earlier this week, with new installments rolling out once a month through November on the brand’s and talents’ global social channels. See the first one, “But First … Coffee,” below. It was filmed at Martin Scorsese NYU Virtual Production Center in Brooklyn, New York, a site launched in fall 2024 by NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
“Elizabeth Street,” which drops in August, features a nostalgic walk down the street where Martin grew up with his parents amid the “relentless chaos of New York constantly interrupting their talk.” “Back to Tisch,” releasing in September, finds the father and daughter returning to their alma mater, NYU, in the 1960s. The October release of “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” finds Francesca offering a tour inside Di Palo’s Fine Foods in Little Italy while waiting on her father. Lastly, in November comes “But Last … Coffee,” a finale set in an iconic New York cafe where Francesca (joined by Biggs) challenges her father to break his strict black coffee routine and try new blends and modern preparations.
Francesca previously directed the shorts Crimson Ties and Fish Out of Water and an episode of Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints.