Draquila

Draquila – L'Italia che trema
Directed by	Sabina Guzzanti
Produced by	Sabina Guzzanti Valerio Terenzio Simona Banchi Ferdinando Vicentini Orgnani
Starring	Sabina Guzzanti
Release date(s)	May 7, 2010 (2010-05-07)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	Italy
Language	Italian

Draquila – L'Italia che trema (Draquila – Italy Shakes) is an 2010 Italian satirical film about the politics of the L'Aquila earthquake. It stars the comedian Sabina Guzzanti, who also wrote and directed. It was presented out of competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, causing a boycott from the Italian government.

The movie name is a portmanteau between L'Aquila and Dracula, while the subtitle "Poteri speciali ad un uomo speciale" ("special powers for a special man") pertain to Guido Bertolaso, the discussed chief of Protezione Civile.

Plot

Beginning from the earthquake in L'Aquila in 2009, the film investigates the way the "Protezione Civile" reacted to the catastrophe. It is shown as an extension of the government, not respecting the law, and putting political service above its responsibilities of the crisis. Sabina Guzzanti caricatures Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and is critical of the government, especially Berlusconi and Guido Bertolaso, the chief of the Protezione Civile. She presents the Italian opposition as invisible and ineffective.

Political reaction

The Italian culture minister Sandro Bondi boycotted the Cannes Film Festival because of the selection of Draquila, describing it as propaganda.^[1][2]

Sandro Bondi comment came well before the film was publicly shown: he responded to criticism about he not knowing the movie stating that he saw the film in a private screening, but ultimately admitted not having seen it at all.

References

1. ^ (French)Le gouvernement italien boycotte le Festival de Cannes à cause de « Draquila », sur RTLinfo
2. ^ Silvio Berlusconi documentary row leads to Italian MP snubbing Cannes into The Guardian 9 may 2010.

External links

• Official website
• Synopsis at Cannes Festival 2010
• Draquila – L'Italia che trema at the Internet Movie Database