Matteo Messina Denaro, Cosa Nostra's
'last godfather' caught after 30 years on the run at a Palermo
cancer clinic a year ago and who died aged 61 last September, is
captured artistically in a new film by two Palermo-born
directors entitled 'Iddu', a Sicilian dialect term of respect
meaning 'Him'.
Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza's picture, set for a
possible premiere at the Venice Film Fest, was filmed last
summer in the western Sicilian stamping ground of the superboss
known as Diabolik to his friends and admirers.
It features Elio Germano as the fugitive boss and Toni Servillo
as an older mafioso, the first time two of Italy's most iconic
actors have worked together.
The directors said it focuses on a period that "tells the story
of the world that dangerously whirls around (Messina Denaro) and
protest the tragic and farcical mystery of his prolonged flight
from justice, a world in which risks and existential crises
never produce the hoped-for results."
They added: "Matteo Messina Denaro is unique in the rich history
of Italian crime. What has emerged over the years from the
investigations and chronicles gave us a chance to dig into his
enigmatic personality and shed light on the wide-ranging system
of relations which his invisible presence nurtured.
"In our film, the fugitive is the centre of a swirling dance of
characters who in the sleep of reason seek dreams that always
end up turning into nightmares.
"Tragic and ridiculous nightmares".
The directors' previous films have often been based in their
native Sicily and many have debuted at festivals including
Cannes.
The cast also includes Daniela Marra, Barbora Bobulova, Fausto
Russo Alesi, Giuseppe Tantillo, Antonia Truppo, with
participation of Tommaso Ragno.
The feature was shot between June and August in the area around
Trapani, Messina Denaro's old fief, as well as Marsala and
magnificent ancient Greek sites including Selinunte.
photo: Germano
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