Videocracy

In Italy, for thirty odd years, the image has been controlled by one man. TV-magnate and Presidente Silvio Berlusconi has influenced the content of commercial television in a way never before done in Italy. His TV-channels, with their young skimpy-clad girls, are seen by many to mirror his own taste and personality.

In Videocracy, Italian-born director Erik Gandini portrays the consequences of a TV-experiment that Italians have been subjected to for 30 years. Gaining unique access to the most powerful media spheres, he unveils a remarkable story, born out of the scary reality of ”TV-Republic” Italy.

AWARDS

Best Documentary, Toronto Film Festival
Inaugural Special Jury Award, Sheffield Film Festival
Citti Award to Erik Gandini, Golden Graal
Tempo Documentary Award 2010 (Best film)
Crossing Europe Award 2010 Linz, Austria

REVIEWS

Erik Gandini’s Videocracy is an intriguing, mordant look at the world of Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi: an acrid Dolce Vita for the modern day… a dreamy, mesmeric and highly disturbing psychogeography of 21st century Italy, or perhaps a meandering anthropological study of a disfunctional cult, ruled by a thin-skinned, self-pitying lader.

Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian 

The combination of terrific footage with a low, rumbling score of doom makes this a compelling horror show.

Dave Colhoun, Time Out London

A horrifying cavalcade of Mussolini-fixated agents and extortionists turned celebrities, it presents a media-political conspiracy that’s way beyond satire.

Philip French, The Guardian

No, it isn’t a documentary, it would be wrong to approach this movie in that way. It’s a horror film

Wu Ming Foundation

What makes Videocracy fascinating viewing is the inside view it provides of the celebrity-obsessed world that Berlusconi has created around him.

The Independent

Videocracy is well crafted and edited. It’s just a shame it will never be shown on the TV networks it so ably holds up for scrutiny.

Screen Daily

Its portrait of the perversion of culture in Berlusconi’s Italy will hang in the memory of all who managed to enjoy the privilege of seeing it.

The Guardian

Controversy around Videocracy

Both Berlusconi’s Mediaset channels and public broadcasterRAI refused to air the trailer for Videocracy, which Fandango released on 4 September 2009. RAI issued a statement saying that its three networks had refused to promote the movie because ”it is too much critical towards the Italian government”.

 

Resources
More images
Press book
(3.7 Mb .pdf)
IMDB

Contact
Kristina Åberg
executive producer
+46 70 768 31 33
kristina@atmo.se

Videocracy. DIRECTOR Erik Gandini. PRODUCER Erik Gandini. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Kristina Åberg CO-PRODUCERS Zentropa Entertainment7, Mikael Olsen, SVT, Axel Arnö EDITOR Johan Söderberg. CINEMATOGRAPHY Manuel Alberto Claro DFF, Lukas Eisenhauer FSF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Iacopo Patierno. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Ann-Louice Dahlgren. MUSIC Arranged and remixed by Johan Söderberg, produced by Johan Söderberg, David Österberg. SOUND DESIGN AND MIX Mainstream, Hans Möller. ART DIRECTOR Martin Hultman. WITH SUPPORT FROM Swedish Film Institute, Peter ”Piodor” Gustafsson, Danish Film Institute, Michael Haslund-Christensen, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Eva Faerevaag, Media Program. IN ASSOCIATION WITH Danish Broadcasting Corporation, Mette Hoffmann Meyer, YLE FST, Jenny Westergård. ACCOUNTANT Pia Janols, Filmekonomi AB. LEGAL CONSULTANT Poa Strömberg, ATN.