18/05/2008

Matteo Garrone’s Gomorra [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Domenico Procacci
interview: Jean Labadie
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] was met with much applause at the Grand Theatre Lumiere, after its competition screening at the 61st Cannes Film Festival. It has also opened successfully at home, where the film based on Roberto Saviano’s eponymous bestseller has already grossed nearly €1m since its release two days ago.

Saviano took centre stage at the film’s press conference, which was also crowded. For security reasons, the writer, who lives under police protection in an unknown location because of threats from the Camorra (the Neapolitan mafia-like organisation), did not walk down the red carpet: "There are many like me living under police protection in my country and my thoughts go to them now,” he said.

"In 30 years," added Saviano, "there have been over 10,000 deaths from organized crime. Many more than on the Gaza Strip. The Camorra alone makes €150m per year. We are dealing with true businessmen. However, through the Camorra I tried to recount something that happens not only in Italy.” Garrone’s film, which Saviano co-wrote, he says "is part of my project to make [this] know, to speak about it, so that things will change.

(Translated from Italian)