The Berlin International Film Festival has confirmed it has invited two elected members of the German far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to the opening ceremony of the 74th Berlinale but says it continues to “stand for basic democratic values and against right-wing extremism.”
AfD politicians, Kristin Brinker and Ronald Gläser, both members of the Berlin State Parliament, were invited to the Berlinale opening ceremony on Feb. 15. The invitations have sparked outrage, with a group of film professionals from Berlin and abroad signing an open letter to the festival protesting the decision.
In a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter, the Berlinale acknowledged that “a number of members and representatives of the AfD hold positions that are deeply anti-democratic and contradict the values of the Berlinale and the values of our employees” but noted that the festival’s protocol is to invite democratically elected politicians. All the invited AfD members...
AfD politicians, Kristin Brinker and Ronald Gläser, both members of the Berlin State Parliament, were invited to the Berlinale opening ceremony on Feb. 15. The invitations have sparked outrage, with a group of film professionals from Berlin and abroad signing an open letter to the festival protesting the decision.
In a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter, the Berlinale acknowledged that “a number of members and representatives of the AfD hold positions that are deeply anti-democratic and contradict the values of the Berlinale and the values of our employees” but noted that the festival’s protocol is to invite democratically elected politicians. All the invited AfD members...
- 2/3/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Controversial, far-right politician Geert Wilders could be on track to become the Netherlands’ next prime minister following a surprise victory in general elections overnight.
Preliminary figures showed that Wilders’ right-wing Freedom Party (Pvv) has gained 37 seats, putting it ahead of the GreenLeft-Labour party (Gl/Pvda) alliance with 25 seats and the liberal-conservative Freedom and Democracy Party (Vvd) with 25 seats.
The result marks a dramatic change in political fortunes for Wilders, whose Pvv party won just 17 seats in snap elections in 2021, following the collapse of a coalition government led by Mark Rutte.
Wilders’ controversial policies include an extreme clampdown on immigration; a referendum on the Netherlands leaving the European Union, or “Nexit”, and Islamophobic measures including the suppression of Islamic schools, the Koran and mosques, although he cannot put the latter ambition in motion under Dutch laws protecting freedom of religion and expression.
Wilders made it clear in his victory speech that...
Preliminary figures showed that Wilders’ right-wing Freedom Party (Pvv) has gained 37 seats, putting it ahead of the GreenLeft-Labour party (Gl/Pvda) alliance with 25 seats and the liberal-conservative Freedom and Democracy Party (Vvd) with 25 seats.
The result marks a dramatic change in political fortunes for Wilders, whose Pvv party won just 17 seats in snap elections in 2021, following the collapse of a coalition government led by Mark Rutte.
Wilders’ controversial policies include an extreme clampdown on immigration; a referendum on the Netherlands leaving the European Union, or “Nexit”, and Islamophobic measures including the suppression of Islamic schools, the Koran and mosques, although he cannot put the latter ambition in motion under Dutch laws protecting freedom of religion and expression.
Wilders made it clear in his victory speech that...
- 11/23/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Venice Film Festival kicked off its 80th edition Wednesday night on a somewhat muted note, with the dual Hollywood strike casting a pall over the glitz and glamour that typically exemplify the world’s oldest cinema fest. Instead of Luca Guadagnino’s Zendaya starrer Challengers — which was scheduled to open Venice pre-strike, getting pulled amid the walkout — Venice was forced to go with a more locally focused feature, Edoardo De Angelis’ Italian World War II submarine drama, Comandante.
Italian actress Caterina Murino hosted the festival’s grand opening ceremony with a retrospective spanning eight decades of Venice cinema, featuring clips highlighting past Golden Lion winners. The audience burst into applause at the sight of the late William Friedkin, whose last film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, will premiere on the Lido this year.
Comandante tells the true story of Salvatore Todaro, a submarine captain under Italy’s fascist government who...
Italian actress Caterina Murino hosted the festival’s grand opening ceremony with a retrospective spanning eight decades of Venice cinema, featuring clips highlighting past Golden Lion winners. The audience burst into applause at the sight of the late William Friedkin, whose last film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, will premiere on the Lido this year.
Comandante tells the true story of Salvatore Todaro, a submarine captain under Italy’s fascist government who...
- 8/30/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Women writers and directors are working as hard as men. It’s not right if we don’t give them chance to be seen.”
Legendary Italian filmmaker Liliana Cavani called for greater recognition of female filmmakers at the opening ceremony for the 80th Venice Film Festival this evening (August 30).
Ninety-year-old Cavani received the honorary Golden Lion award recognising her career, which spans seven decades.
“I’m the first female person to receive this award,” said Cavani. “There are women writers and directors who are working as well as men. It’s not quite right if we don’t give them a chance to be seen.
Legendary Italian filmmaker Liliana Cavani called for greater recognition of female filmmakers at the opening ceremony for the 80th Venice Film Festival this evening (August 30).
Ninety-year-old Cavani received the honorary Golden Lion award recognising her career, which spans seven decades.
“I’m the first female person to receive this award,” said Cavani. “There are women writers and directors who are working as well as men. It’s not quite right if we don’t give them a chance to be seen.
- 8/30/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
State Italian broadcaster Rai has axed a factual organized crime series by Gomorrah creator Roberto Saviano out of the blue, prompting accusations of political interference.
Rai CEO Roberto Sergio confirmed the cancellation in an interview with daily newspaper Il Messaggero on Wednesday, saying the move was “corporate and not political.”
Saviano, who is a long-standing harsh public critic of right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her government, hit back saying the move was politically motivated.
Italian media have suggested the decision was linked to Saviano’s repeated reference to controversial far-right politician Matteo Salvini as the “Minister of the Mala Vita”, or “Minister of the criminal underworld” in social media posts.
His use of the phrase dates back to Salvini’s term as Ministry of the Interior in 2019 when Saviano challenged his policies on migrant boats entering Italian waters.
Salvini, who is now Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Prime Minister in Meloni’s government,...
Rai CEO Roberto Sergio confirmed the cancellation in an interview with daily newspaper Il Messaggero on Wednesday, saying the move was “corporate and not political.”
Saviano, who is a long-standing harsh public critic of right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her government, hit back saying the move was politically motivated.
Italian media have suggested the decision was linked to Saviano’s repeated reference to controversial far-right politician Matteo Salvini as the “Minister of the Mala Vita”, or “Minister of the criminal underworld” in social media posts.
His use of the phrase dates back to Salvini’s term as Ministry of the Interior in 2019 when Saviano challenged his policies on migrant boats entering Italian waters.
Salvini, who is now Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Prime Minister in Meloni’s government,...
- 7/26/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Italians on Wednesday bid farewell to TV tycoon and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi with a national day of mourning and a state funeral in Milan’s Duomo cathedral attended by top local political and business leaders and some foreign dignitaries, aired live across all the country’s main media outlets.
After the hearse with Berlusconi’s flower-draped casket drove slowly through Milan streets amid cheers, tens of thousands of people outside the Duomo erupted in applause as pallbearers solemnly carried the coffin through the crowd. Inside the cathedral his five children, Marina, Pier Silvio, Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi, and his 34-year-old girlfriend Marta Fascina, shed tears as the casket was placed in front of the altar and the Archbishop of Milan, Monsignor Mario Delpini, began the service.
Berlusconi died on Monday at age 86 at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan due to complications from leukemia. The man who created...
After the hearse with Berlusconi’s flower-draped casket drove slowly through Milan streets amid cheers, tens of thousands of people outside the Duomo erupted in applause as pallbearers solemnly carried the coffin through the crowd. Inside the cathedral his five children, Marina, Pier Silvio, Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi, and his 34-year-old girlfriend Marta Fascina, shed tears as the casket was placed in front of the altar and the Archbishop of Milan, Monsignor Mario Delpini, began the service.
Berlusconi died on Monday at age 86 at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan due to complications from leukemia. The man who created...
- 6/14/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Mediaset CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi has given his verdict on an upcoming video appearance by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Italy’s iconic Sanremo song festival, adding fuel to an ongoing political debate around the operation.
Speaking at a press conference for Mediaset results on Thursday, Berlusconi said he did not feel the festival, celebrating Italian song, was the right place for such an address.
The TV exec and entrepreneur is the son of Italian media tycoon and politician Silvio Berlusconi, who has described himself as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest friends.
Zelensky has made video addresses at a raft of cultural and entertainment events since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, including the Cannes and Venice films festivals, the Golden Globes and U.K.’s Glastonbury music festival.
Plans to carry out a similar operation on the final night of Sanremo on...
Speaking at a press conference for Mediaset results on Thursday, Berlusconi said he did not feel the festival, celebrating Italian song, was the right place for such an address.
The TV exec and entrepreneur is the son of Italian media tycoon and politician Silvio Berlusconi, who has described himself as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest friends.
Zelensky has made video addresses at a raft of cultural and entertainment events since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, including the Cannes and Venice films festivals, the Golden Globes and U.K.’s Glastonbury music festival.
Plans to carry out a similar operation on the final night of Sanremo on...
- 2/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Author and anti-Mafia activist Roberto Saviano, whose Neapolitan mob exposé “Gomorrah” is the basis for the popular HBO Max series of the same title, stood his second trial in three months on Wednesday on charges of defaming a member of Italy’s current right-wing government.
Saviano first appeared in court in November for a defamation lawsuit brought by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for calling her a “bastard” while blasting her stance on migrants. This time, he is facing a libel suit from League leader and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini for also calling him a “bastard” while discussing migrants on a Rai TV talk show in December 2020.
On Rai talk show “Piazzapulita,” Saviano blasted Meloni and Salvini, who were then members of the opposition, for their attempts to block migrant rescue boats. Meloni said on the show that Rome should “repatriate migrants and sink the boats that rescued them.”
Saviano...
Saviano first appeared in court in November for a defamation lawsuit brought by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for calling her a “bastard” while blasting her stance on migrants. This time, he is facing a libel suit from League leader and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini for also calling him a “bastard” while discussing migrants on a Rai TV talk show in December 2020.
On Rai talk show “Piazzapulita,” Saviano blasted Meloni and Salvini, who were then members of the opposition, for their attempts to block migrant rescue boats. Meloni said on the show that Rome should “repatriate migrants and sink the boats that rescued them.”
Saviano...
- 2/1/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Berlin, Dec 29 (Ians) Member states of the European Union are trying to find a joint stance on how to treat travellers entering the borderless Schengen area from China, after Italy urged the rest of the economic bloc to bring back anti-Covid checks following Beijings rapid rollback of its previously stringent hygiene restrictions, according to a media report.
Italy on Wednesday brought back mandatory coronavirus tests for all airline travellers arriving from China, following reports of rising infection rates in the world’s most populous country, The Guardian reported.
More than 50 per cent of people screened upon arrival at Milan’s Malpensa airport in recent days tested positive for the virus, prompting the Lombardy region to require a mandatory negative test result before entry from China, the report said.
However, on Thursday, Italy’s far-right premier, Giorgia Meloni, said no new concerning Covid-19 mutations had been found among those entering the country so far,...
Italy on Wednesday brought back mandatory coronavirus tests for all airline travellers arriving from China, following reports of rising infection rates in the world’s most populous country, The Guardian reported.
More than 50 per cent of people screened upon arrival at Milan’s Malpensa airport in recent days tested positive for the virus, prompting the Lombardy region to require a mandatory negative test result before entry from China, the report said.
However, on Thursday, Italy’s far-right premier, Giorgia Meloni, said no new concerning Covid-19 mutations had been found among those entering the country so far,...
- 12/29/2022
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Author and activist Roberto Saviano, whose Neapolitan mob exposé “Gomorrah” is the basis for the popular HBO Max series of the same title, was unrepentant on Tuesday during the first hearing in a defamation lawsuit being brought against him by Italy’s current right-wing prime minister Giorgia Meloni for calling her “a bastard” while blasting her stance on migrants.
“I think it’s odd that a writer is tried for his words, however harsh they may be, while defenseless individuals continue to suffer atrocious violence and constant lies,” Saviano told reporters as he exited the Rome court, where the libel trial was adjourned until Dec. 12.
Meloni, who at the time was leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy, then an opposition party, sued Saviano shortly after a December 2020 TV interview on the Rai talk show “Piazzapulita,” in which he blasted her and fellow right-wing leader Matteo Salvini for their attempts to block migrant rescue boats.
“I think it’s odd that a writer is tried for his words, however harsh they may be, while defenseless individuals continue to suffer atrocious violence and constant lies,” Saviano told reporters as he exited the Rome court, where the libel trial was adjourned until Dec. 12.
Meloni, who at the time was leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy, then an opposition party, sued Saviano shortly after a December 2020 TV interview on the Rai talk show “Piazzapulita,” in which he blasted her and fellow right-wing leader Matteo Salvini for their attempts to block migrant rescue boats.
- 11/15/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Roberto Saviano, the Italian writer and journalist behind the Gomorrah film and series, will go to court this week charged with criminal defamation by Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s new far-right Prime Minister.
The charges relate to an incident that took place before Meloni was elected. Saviano, speaking on Italian current affairs show Piazzapulita in December 2020, called Meloni, leader of the neofascist Brother of Italy party, a “bastard” for her anti-immigrant policies.
The context was the death of a six-month-old baby from Guinea who drowned in the Mediterranean en route to Italy. The child was among six people who perished that night in a year an estimated 1,881 migrants died trying to cross the Mediterranean along various routes, according to figures from the refugee agency Unhcr. In the months leading up to this event, Meloni, then leader of the opposition, attacked rescue ships that were...
Roberto Saviano, the Italian writer and journalist behind the Gomorrah film and series, will go to court this week charged with criminal defamation by Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s new far-right Prime Minister.
The charges relate to an incident that took place before Meloni was elected. Saviano, speaking on Italian current affairs show Piazzapulita in December 2020, called Meloni, leader of the neofascist Brother of Italy party, a “bastard” for her anti-immigrant policies.
The context was the death of a six-month-old baby from Guinea who drowned in the Mediterranean en route to Italy. The child was among six people who perished that night in a year an estimated 1,881 migrants died trying to cross the Mediterranean along various routes, according to figures from the refugee agency Unhcr. In the months leading up to this event, Meloni, then leader of the opposition, attacked rescue ships that were...
- 11/14/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Italian writer, journalist and political commentator Roberto Saviano is due to head to court in Rome on Tuesday (November 15) for the first hearing in a defamation trial brought against him by Italy’s newly installed, right-wing prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
The case is related to an incident that took place prior to Meloni taking the reins of power in Italy in October.
Meloni is suing Saviano over comments he made on the current affairs show Piazza Pulita in December 2020, during a discussion about the phenomenon of asylum seekers arriving on Italian shores via small boats or charity ships that rescue them from the sea, in which he referred to her as a “bastard” for her hard-line, anti-immigrant stance.
The judge charged with a preliminary investigation into the case ruled that the “epithet bastard” had gone “beyond the rights of political criticism” and gave the green light for the trial.
The...
The case is related to an incident that took place prior to Meloni taking the reins of power in Italy in October.
Meloni is suing Saviano over comments he made on the current affairs show Piazza Pulita in December 2020, during a discussion about the phenomenon of asylum seekers arriving on Italian shores via small boats or charity ships that rescue them from the sea, in which he referred to her as a “bastard” for her hard-line, anti-immigrant stance.
The judge charged with a preliminary investigation into the case ruled that the “epithet bastard” had gone “beyond the rights of political criticism” and gave the green light for the trial.
The...
- 11/14/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Italy, and all of Europe, awoke Monday to a new political reality after far-right politician Giorgia Meloni claimed victory in Italy’s snap elections. With nearly all the results in, Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, a group with neofascist origins, secured the biggest share of votes.
Her far-right coalition, which includes the League, headed by Matteo Salvini, and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party, have a clear majority and should be able to form a new government. Such a coalition of nationalist and far-right parties would represent Italy’s most rightwing government since the end of Benito Mussolini’s reign in 1945. Meloni has made a name for herself with starkly conservative stances, on abortion, immigration and LGBTQ+ rights.
Given the seismic political shift, it was perhaps surprising to see few voices among Italy’s traditionally leftist entertainment industry raised in protest. Only...
Italy, and all of Europe, awoke Monday to a new political reality after far-right politician Giorgia Meloni claimed victory in Italy’s snap elections. With nearly all the results in, Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, a group with neofascist origins, secured the biggest share of votes.
Her far-right coalition, which includes the League, headed by Matteo Salvini, and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party, have a clear majority and should be able to form a new government. Such a coalition of nationalist and far-right parties would represent Italy’s most rightwing government since the end of Benito Mussolini’s reign in 1945. Meloni has made a name for herself with starkly conservative stances, on abortion, immigration and LGBTQ+ rights.
Given the seismic political shift, it was perhaps surprising to see few voices among Italy’s traditionally leftist entertainment industry raised in protest. Only...
- 9/26/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Italy on Monday took a sharp turn towards the right as Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party, which has neo-fascist roots, emerged as big winners in the country’s national elections.
Final results on Monday showed Meloni and her party winning roughly 26 of the vote and the center-right coalition she leads scoring 44 of parliamentary preferences. Within that coalition Matteo Salvini’s anti-immigrant League won nearly 9 and former prime minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia took 8. A much smaller member of the coalition, called the Moderates, took less than 1.
Meloni’s closest challenger, with some 19.3 of the vote, is the center-left Democratic Party headed by Enrico Letta, who has announced his resignation. Italy’s anti-establishment 5-Star Movement — which had won the vote in Italy’s 2018 parliamentary elections — saw its support halved to some 15 this time around.
Meloni, who is 45, is now poised to become Italy’s first female prime minister,...
Final results on Monday showed Meloni and her party winning roughly 26 of the vote and the center-right coalition she leads scoring 44 of parliamentary preferences. Within that coalition Matteo Salvini’s anti-immigrant League won nearly 9 and former prime minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia took 8. A much smaller member of the coalition, called the Moderates, took less than 1.
Meloni’s closest challenger, with some 19.3 of the vote, is the center-left Democratic Party headed by Enrico Letta, who has announced his resignation. Italy’s anti-establishment 5-Star Movement — which had won the vote in Italy’s 2018 parliamentary elections — saw its support halved to some 15 this time around.
Meloni, who is 45, is now poised to become Italy’s first female prime minister,...
- 9/26/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Updated: The victory of right-wing politician Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party in Italian general elections on Sunday has been confirmed as results continued to roll in on Monday morning.
As of 11:14 am local time, Brothers of Italy had clinched a 26.1 share of the vote for both the lower house and senate.
“The electorate has shown they want a center-right government led by the Brothers of Italy,” Meloni said in a short speech in the early hours of Monday morning, as exit polls and projections pointed to victory for her party.
Meloni is expected to take on the role of Italy’s first female prime minister and form Italy’s most right-wing government since World War Two with Matteo Salvini’s far-right League, Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, and the smaller Noi Moderati party.
The League and Forza Italia’s results were far from stellar,...
As of 11:14 am local time, Brothers of Italy had clinched a 26.1 share of the vote for both the lower house and senate.
“The electorate has shown they want a center-right government led by the Brothers of Italy,” Meloni said in a short speech in the early hours of Monday morning, as exit polls and projections pointed to victory for her party.
Meloni is expected to take on the role of Italy’s first female prime minister and form Italy’s most right-wing government since World War Two with Matteo Salvini’s far-right League, Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, and the smaller Noi Moderati party.
The League and Forza Italia’s results were far from stellar,...
- 9/26/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: the Hollywood actor, who lawyers have listed as a key witness, describes scenes of desperation on the Open Arms vessel
The Hollywood actor Richard Gere has revealed for the first time the full story behind his mercy mission to the Ngo rescue boat Open Arms as he prepares to testify as a witness against Italy’s former interior minister and far-right leader, Matteo Salvini, who is on trial for attempting to block the 147 people onboard from landing in Italy.
In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Gere, 72, who lawyers have listed as a key witness to the situation aboard the Ngo rescue boat Open Arms, described the scenes of desperation he saw when he arrived on the vessel being held off the Italian island of Lampedusa in the summer of 2019 with conditions rapidly deteriorating.
The Hollywood actor Richard Gere has revealed for the first time the full story behind his mercy mission to the Ngo rescue boat Open Arms as he prepares to testify as a witness against Italy’s former interior minister and far-right leader, Matteo Salvini, who is on trial for attempting to block the 147 people onboard from landing in Italy.
In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Gere, 72, who lawyers have listed as a key witness to the situation aboard the Ngo rescue boat Open Arms, described the scenes of desperation he saw when he arrived on the vessel being held off the Italian island of Lampedusa in the summer of 2019 with conditions rapidly deteriorating.
- 11/19/2021
- by Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo
- The Guardian - Film News
The Bible, according to Milo Rau, “is a book about a guy losing his fight against state power,” but who ultimately prevails by establishing a movement. It is that struggle that he depicts in his new film, “The New Gospel.”
The documentary project is a kind of political Passion Play in which Cameroonian activist Yvan Sagnet portrays a Jesus who leads a revolt for the rights of migrants that were forced to flee their homelands and cross the Mediterranean only to be “enslaved” on the agricultural fields of southern Italy.
The film, which premieres in Venice Days, is part of Rau’s “Trilogy of Ancient Myths” that began with “Orestes in Mosul” and concludes next year with “Antigone in the Amazon.”
Thematically, “The New Gospel” also follows his 2018 work “The Congo Tribunal,” which examines the causes of the Congolese Civil War, a conflict he describes as the “biggest and bloodiest economic war in human history.
The documentary project is a kind of political Passion Play in which Cameroonian activist Yvan Sagnet portrays a Jesus who leads a revolt for the rights of migrants that were forced to flee their homelands and cross the Mediterranean only to be “enslaved” on the agricultural fields of southern Italy.
The film, which premieres in Venice Days, is part of Rau’s “Trilogy of Ancient Myths” that began with “Orestes in Mosul” and concludes next year with “Antigone in the Amazon.”
Thematically, “The New Gospel” also follows his 2018 work “The Congo Tribunal,” which examines the causes of the Congolese Civil War, a conflict he describes as the “biggest and bloodiest economic war in human history.
- 9/8/2020
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Like many outdoor screening series, the Rome-based Cinema America gathers hundreds of people during the summer to watch movies from around the world. This month, however, the group’s gathering turned into a battlefield. Following a June 16 screening of Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed,” four young men were hospitalized after brutal attacks by far-right fascists who singled out a victim for wearing a “Cinema America” t-shirt.
Four men were arrested following the 4 a.m. attack, which reflected the mounting showdowns between Italy’s growing far-right faction and anyone perceived as harboring leftist sentiments. It has also cast a light on the resilience of Cinema America, a seven-year-old collective that has fought back against local hate groups.
Schrader compared the ongoing showdown to May 1968, when the riots across France resulted in directors protesting across the country and the cancellation of the Cannes Film Festival. “All of a sudden, we’re having...
Four men were arrested following the 4 a.m. attack, which reflected the mounting showdowns between Italy’s growing far-right faction and anyone perceived as harboring leftist sentiments. It has also cast a light on the resilience of Cinema America, a seven-year-old collective that has fought back against local hate groups.
Schrader compared the ongoing showdown to May 1968, when the riots across France resulted in directors protesting across the country and the cancellation of the Cannes Film Festival. “All of a sudden, we’re having...
- 6/27/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Critics have often been stumped by satire. This seemed again the case this week as puzzled TV reviewers wrestled with George Clooney’s superbly astringent rendition of Catch-22. Shouldn’t there be more laughs in satire, some asked? Ironically, I revisited this question as I paid a visit to the Comedy Store (a guilty pleasure) and heard a grumpy young comic complain, “The only people getting laughs any more are politicians –and they don’t even mean to.”
He was half right. We are laughing at politicos these days, but they like it that way. A stunning number of elections around the world are being won by professional comedians. Even Donald Trump thinks he’s funny. But so does the new president of Ukraine, the prime minister of Slovenia, the president of Guatemala, the onetime mayor of Reykjavik in Iceland, and the man who will likely be the next prime minister of the UK.
He was half right. We are laughing at politicos these days, but they like it that way. A stunning number of elections around the world are being won by professional comedians. Even Donald Trump thinks he’s funny. But so does the new president of Ukraine, the prime minister of Slovenia, the president of Guatemala, the onetime mayor of Reykjavik in Iceland, and the man who will likely be the next prime minister of the UK.
- 5/23/2019
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
A group of 500 prominent European auteurs – including heavyweights attending Cannes such as Céline Sciamma, Pawel Pawlikowski, and Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne – have launched an impassioned appeal to citizens of the 28 European Union nations to get out the vote at the upcoming May 23-26 E.U. parliamentary elections.
“It is true, Europe is hardly perfect,” said the appeal, read by Sciamma and Croatia’s Hrvoje Hribar during a photo-op gathering on the steps of the Directors’ Fortnight hub on the Croisette. A banner behind them urged to “Choose your future!”
“We sometimes blame it, and rightly so, for lacking soul and emotion; for speaking a language that few of us understand,” it noted.
“Yet, despite its frailties and its failings, we also perceive humanity and beauty at its core. And we strive to portray it through delicate imagery, in a more accessible language for all the people that make it whole,” the appeal added.
“It is true, Europe is hardly perfect,” said the appeal, read by Sciamma and Croatia’s Hrvoje Hribar during a photo-op gathering on the steps of the Directors’ Fortnight hub on the Croisette. A banner behind them urged to “Choose your future!”
“We sometimes blame it, and rightly so, for lacking soul and emotion; for speaking a language that few of us understand,” it noted.
“Yet, despite its frailties and its failings, we also perceive humanity and beauty at its core. And we strive to portray it through delicate imagery, in a more accessible language for all the people that make it whole,” the appeal added.
- 5/22/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Moore presented the Italian premiere of his new film Fahrenheit 11/9, about the current state of American politics, at the Rome Film Festival on Saturday. Earlier in the week, he met briefly with Pope Francis, at the Vatican’s weekly public address.
The Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker engaged in a “Close Encounter” conversation with the festival audience, where he compared Donald Trump’s America to the current government in Italy, which now has far-right, anti-immigration Lega Nord’s Matteo Salvini and the populist Five Star Movement’s Luigi Di Maio serving as deputy prime ministers.
Moore was surprised to be ...
The Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker engaged in a “Close Encounter” conversation with the festival audience, where he compared Donald Trump’s America to the current government in Italy, which now has far-right, anti-immigration Lega Nord’s Matteo Salvini and the populist Five Star Movement’s Luigi Di Maio serving as deputy prime ministers.
Moore was surprised to be ...
- 10/21/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Michael Moore presented the Italian premiere of his new film Fahrenheit 11/9, about the current state of American politics, at the Rome Film Festival on Saturday. Earlier in the week, he met briefly with Pope Francis, at the Vatican’s weekly public address.
The Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker engaged in a “Close Encounter” conversation with the festival audience, where he compared Donald Trump’s America to the current government in Italy, which now has far-right, anti-immigration Lega Nord’s Matteo Salvini and the populist Five Star Movement’s Luigi Di Maio serving as deputy prime ministers.
Moore was surprised to be ...
The Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker engaged in a “Close Encounter” conversation with the festival audience, where he compared Donald Trump’s America to the current government in Italy, which now has far-right, anti-immigration Lega Nord’s Matteo Salvini and the populist Five Star Movement’s Luigi Di Maio serving as deputy prime ministers.
Moore was surprised to be ...
- 10/21/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Englishman John Oliver, host of an American talk show, has thrown his hat into the ring to become Italian Prime Minister. On Sunday, the “Last Week Tonight” personality broke down Italy’s upcoming election, which based on the current mix of candidates, appears to be of the lose-lose variety. The alt-right’s Matteo Salvini, for example, was described by Oliver as a “fascist Mary Poppins.” That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. Also Read: Coal Magnate's Lawsuit Against John Oliver and HBO Is Dismissed Making matters worse, Salvini has some ties to President Trump, which perhaps explains Italy’s own “fake news” problem. “Oh, you thought maybe Trump...
- 2/26/2018
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.