Lisa Pasteris’ project- third of a series of meetings at the Cima Norma factory

Lisa Pasteris. November 2016.

Cima Norma factory. Torre, Switzerland.

I’ve had a coffee, I’ve grabbed a warm jumper, a notebook, the key of the car, some pencils and I have shoes on. ok, I can leave! I go towards Blenio Valley and the temperature written on my car’s dashboard makes me realise it is cold. When I arrive to the factory children are eating lunch. We wait together for former workers to arrive (they are very happy to be here and have the chance to see once again the factory where they use to work). At 1.25 pm I meet them in front the door through which they entered the factory when they used to work here (I hadn’t even seen that entrance). We enter from another door and their first reaction is astonishment. They did not expect such a change. No machinery, clean floor, painted walls, stairs that did not exist before.

Children line up to shake hands with all four of them and, after havig taken a seat, they very kindly asked their names. Primo Brunetti, Francesca Rigozzi, Anita Rodesino and Isolina Devittori. From this moment on, they keep on exchanging experiences, questions and explanations. We visit the factory together. As he four former workers speak, I can see images from the past in their eyes, as if they were living those moments once again. They here but their thoughts go to the past; they explain us how chocolate was produced, all the machinery that used to be in the factory, their duties and those of their colleagues. Children listen to every words they say.

We go back to the canteen, we sit down and start asking many questions; we want to learn everything about life at the factory, individuals’ emotions and thoughts and funny anecdotes.
The atmosphere is informal, somebody say some words in local dialect. The four elderly workers answered to all the questions of the children.

Time flies. I have to say bye bye to the children; I thank the workers and go back to my car.

See you at the next meeting, which will be on December 13th, at Gorduno’s school.