Wine Country Film Festival

“The Cheese Nun: Sister Noella’s Voyage of Discovery” tells the story of a cloistered Benedictine nun who began to study the microbes that ripened the fresh milk cheeses made by the sisters in her abbey in rural New England.

The documentary film follows Sister Noella Marcellino from her modest cheese cellar in Connecticut to the centuries-old volcanic caves of Auvergne, France. We see her research work with scientists on both sides of the Atlantic, and visit her abbey where the cows are still milked by hand and the cheese is made as it was centuries ago.

In the film Sister Noella argues for the preservation of the cheese fungi, comparing them to rain forest trees. Her goal is to understand and preserve the natural cheesemaking environments which are under threat today.

In 2003 Sister Noella was honored by the French food industry with its first French Food Spirit Award in the category of science advancement for promoting an understanding of its cheeses and helping to preserve the traditional ways of making them.

Her story is told with humor and wisdom, full of contrasts and unlikely situations. It is a message for those who enjoy good natural food and who want to understand the role played by nature and traditions which have evolved over centuries.

Sister Noella and the film’s director Pat Thompson visited Sonoma during the film’s West Coast premiere at the 2004 Wine Country Film Festival. The film won WCFF 2004 Best Documentary.

At 6PM there will be a reception with fruit and cheese plates and beverages available for purchase. The film screens at 7PM. There is a $5 suggested donation. Reservations are recommended. Call 935-3456 to reserve a seat.