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Home Front: Culture Wars
Thank you, Islam, for your beautiful dreams!
2004-10-04
Italian actor and director Roberto Benigni is to make a film about the Iraq war.
Cue the "Jaws" theme building in the background
In spite of the subject matter, Oscar-winner Benigni intends the film - which is due for release in 2005 - to be a comedy. Benigni plays the part of a human shield poet who is in Iraq by chance and is caught up in the events.
and our entre this evening...
Benigni criticised the West's role in the Iraq violence. "Westerners are running the show, all of those doing these things have studied in the West, it is not the Easterners. We know how many dreams the East gives, and how grateful we are to the East and love all its beautiful things," he said. [emphasis added]
Yes, Roberto, by all means, invite yourself to Mecca. They'll welcome you with open arms. Especially if you mention your other movie."
Posted by:The Caucasus Nerd

#7  Vita Bella was such a liberal fantasy - even though it was a nice one.

All you have to do is believe that the world is beautiful and viola! Thus it is so! Refuse to acknowledge reality and without doing a thing, or fighting back, you can make evil go away.

Sure, it works great in movies. But in reality, that the kid would have been snatched within a day or two and put to hard labor or used for medical experiments after watching his dad walk off to the showers. Hey...I know it was only a movie and (sniff, sniff) it was beautiful because they imagined. [cue John Lenons "Imagine" music from background]

Someone should remind him that what made the ending happy in Vita Bella was the arrival of the American soldiers.
Posted by: 2b   2004-10-04 5:10:05 PM  

#6  I understand that poets flocked to Iraq after '91.
Posted by: Super Hose   2004-10-04 4:42:16 PM  

#5  Steve,
Yes. Benigni starred in and directed "Life is Beautiful" ("Vita è bella" in Italian).

He won numerous awards for this film.

I wouldn't call it 'warm hearted'; more bitter sweet with some warm moments and some starkly terrifying moments.
Posted by: mhw   2004-10-04 6:33:35 AM  

#4  
The "other movie" link doesn't work.
.
Posted by: Mike Sylwester   2004-10-04 5:35:15 AM  

#3  Didn't Benigni star in a warm-hearted comedy about a Nazi death camp?
Posted by: SteveS   2004-10-04 1:22:35 AM  

#2  Benigni is swallowing the Edward Said thesis of Orientalism despite the fact that this thesis is substantially discredited.
Posted by: mhw   2004-10-04 12:42:47 AM  

#1  yawn.. so 20th Century. Geezers.
Posted by: 2b   2004-10-04 12:03:43 AM  

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