Italian Minister of Culture will not attend Cannes Festival due to screening of controversial documentary by Zuzana Zelenakova

Italian Minister of Culture Sandro Bondi refused to attend famous Cannes Film Festival next week because of one of selected movies. It is documentary called Draquila: Italy Trembles by writer and director Sabina Guzzanti concerning the L´Aquila earthquake that hit the city in April 2009. Sandro Bondi referred to it as to “a propaganda movie, which insults the truth and the Italian people.” Member of the opposition Luigi De Magistris commented Bondi´s boycott: "It's not art that offends the truth and the Italian people, but the decision of a minister who, instead of acting like one, prefers to play the role of the prime minister's faithful servant." Th! e truth is the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was struggling before the quake, not only in his political career but also personal life that was widely covered by media. According to the Italian satirist Guzzanti, the prime minister used the quake in order to increase his own popularity. 308 people died in the earthquake thus making it the deadliest earthquake in Italy since 1980. Thousands of buildings were damaged in this medieval city and several collapsed. The documentary shows Berlusconi uttering some inappropriate comments during his visits to the quake hit city. Example that speaks for all is the one when Italy´s Prime Minister suggested that people who became homeless due to the catastrophe imagine themselves as being on a “camping weekend.” Although the Italian government has been angered by the documentary, its reaction did not seem to scare Sabina Guzzanti, who is used to expressing her opinions freely and was not afraid to criticize eve! n the Catholic Church in homosexual related issues. "In 20 yea! rs Ratzi nger will be dead and will end up in hell, tormented by queer demons - not passive ones, but very active ones," she said at a rally back in 2008.

related story (sgx17257): http://www.english.rfi.fr/europe/20100508-italian-government...

by Zuzana Zelenakova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

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