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Italian Culture Minister Sandro Bondi’s decision to snub an invitation to the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in May 2010 came in response to the Festival’s decision to screen Sabina Guzzanti’s Draquila, a satirical documentary which criticised Prime Minister Sylvio Berlusconi’s handling of the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake, out of competition at the event.   Bondi expressed his ‘regret and concern’ over the film’s screening, which he denounced as ‘propaganda that offends the truth and the entire Italian population’.

Guzzanti’s film claims that Berlusconi used the disaster, in which 300 people died and 1,200 were left homeless, to boost his popularity at a time when his ratings were at an all-time low due to allegations over his private life.   It was, said Guzzanti, ‘as if God had stretched out his hand’ to Berlusconi.    In an interview with Italian website Articolo 21, she described the film as ‘a reflection on Italy’s drift to authoritarianism.’

It was not the first time that Guzzanti, the daughter of a former MP in Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party, had fallen foul of the Prime Minister.   In 2008, she was threatened with legal action by Mara Carfagna, the country’s Equal Opportunities Minister over Guzzanti’s suggestions that Berlusconi had awarded the position to the 32-year-old former topless model in return for sexual favours.   Guzzanti also once faced prosecution for saying that Pope Benedict would ‘end up in hell, tormented by queer demons.’

Berlusconi frequently pointed to government’s response to the disaster as a major achievement, and even relocated the G8 summit to L’Aquila, but the reconstruction work had been blighted by scandal, with the head of the civil protection service facing investigation over the awarding of contracts in the region

Bondi, a staunch supporter of Berlusconi, received fierce criticism over his snub to Cannes.   Jack Lang, France’s former Culture Minister, described the decision as ‘puerile, infantile and capricious.   Incomprehensible from a minister of the republic.’  

Within Italy’s borders, opposition MPs queued up to deliver their criticism and demand Bondi’s resignation; ‘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,’ said Luigi De Magistris, a member of the Italy of Values party.   His colleague, Fabio Gambrione, said ‘Berlusconi and his government are becoming increasingly intolerant of satire and freedom of expression’.   Even members of his own party voiced an opinion against Bondi; Fabio Granata said, ‘representing Italy is the minister’s duty over and above polemics.   It’s a question of respect for Italian cinema.’

From within the film industry, Daniele Luchetti, the sole Italian director with a film in Cannes’ official selection in 2010, said, ‘I don’t really know what to say about a minister who is ashamed of artistic freedom.   A free country should show this kind of work.   One must be proud to bring such a demonstration of freedom abroad.’

One voice of support belonged to veteran film-maker Franco Zeffirelli, who said, ‘I don’t see why Bondi should endorse an unworthy film that offends Italy.   The festival is famous for putting the world’s rubbish on its bill.’

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