Videocracy (film)

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Videocracy is a 2009 documentary film directed by Swedish-Italian Erik Gandini about Italian television and its impact on Italian culture and politics, and about Silvio Berlusconi's powerful position in these. Erik Gandini coined the phrase The Evilness of Banality to describe the cultural phenomenon of Berlusconismo. Thus making a word play on Hanna Arendt's Banality of Evil.

Videocracy
Directed byErik Gandini
Written byErik Gandini
Produced byErik Gandini
Mikael Olsen
StarringSilvio Berlusconi
Flavio Briatore
Fabrizio Corona
Lele Mora
Simona Ventura
CinematographyManuel Alberto Claro
Lukas Eisenhauer
Edited byJohan Söderberg
Release dates
  • 28 August 2009 (2009-08-28) (Sweden)
  • 4 September 2009 (2009-09-04) (Italy)
CountriesSweden
Denmark
United Kingdom
Finland
LanguagesEnglish
Italian

Soon after its theatrical premiere in Sweden, the film was shown at the 66th Venice International Film Festival where it gained massive attention. The trailer for the film has been banned by most Italian television broadcasters[1].

Videocracy uses the theme tune to Silvio Berlusconi's presidential campaign and now party theme, Meno male che Silvio c'è! (loosely translated as Thank God for Silvio!). When first hearing it Videocracy's director Erik Gandini thought it was satire. [2].

Videocracy has won awards at Toronto Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, the Golden Graal awards and the Tempo Documentary Award 2010. Videocracy has been widely distributed internationally, released theatrically in the USA, UK, Holland, France, Poland, Sweden among other. In Italy where it opened in 90 theaters across the country on the weekend of September 4th 2009, Videocracy became 4th in the Box Office rankings.

Plot

The veline phenomenon is explained. We meet young mechanic Ricky who tries to become a TV star, but complains that it is more difficult for a man. TV agent Lele Mora admiringly says that Berlusconi resembles Benito Mussolini. Paparazzo Fabrizio Corona takes embarrassing photographs of celebrities, and asks them for money to not publicize them. He explains that he is a new version of Robin Hood: he steals from the rich, but keeps the money to himself. When he was convicted for extortion, it made him a greater celebrity, and he is now cashing in on this. He is shown full-frontally naked taking a shower.

See also

References

  1. ^ Maria Pia Fusco. "La Rai rifiuta il trailer di Videocracy "È un film che critica il governo"". La Repubblica. Retrieved 09-07-2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ Dan Higgins (Pure Movies). "Eric Gandini Interview". Pure Movies. Retrieved 13-08-2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)