EDITORIAL
Italy’s revival may start from the South by Flavia Pankiewicz
N
ot only will Matera be the “European Capital of Culture 2019” (rather than a defeat for Lecce, it is a victory for the entire South, and an extraordinary opportunity for Basilicata and also for Puglia since the many visitors arriving will undoubtedly stray across the borders), but for the past few years this city has also been gaining a growing reputation as the “capital” of important film sets. The singular, stunning rock landscape of the Sassi, a unique scenario very difficult to reproduce, served as the setting for Pasolini’s masterpiece The Gospel according to Matthew and for Mel Gibson’s controversial The Passion of the Christ. It has been the backdrop of many other film productions and until the beginning of March hosted the filming of Ben Hur, a remake of the unforgettable Hollywood blockbuster, winner of eleven Oscars and a milestone in international cinema history. This is a great challenge for the Kazakh director, Timur Bekmambetov, who has given the title role to Jack Huston and the role of Ilderim to the great Morgan Freeman. No less talented is the scriptwriter, John Ridley, 2014 Oscar winner for the best non-original screenplay for Twelve Years a Slave, and the set designer, Naomi Shohan, who worked on I am Legend and other successful movies. It is a huge project that will certainly serve as another major springboard for the city of the Sassi.
In terms of being a highly desirable movie location, Puglia is equally sought after. In the past three years more than two hundred audiovisual works have been made in the area. And it is well known that appearing in a film or in a TV soap has a far greater impact on the collective imagination than any advertisement could have. There is no doubt that the tourism figures will keep growing. It is simply a matter of being prepared, of improving the infrastructure, the availability of accommodation, and the professional level of the welcome we extend. It is a matter of getting to grips with the protection and renewal of the territory, resisting all attempts to devastate the environment under the guise of development. It is a matter of consciously and forcefully embracing the path of sustainable development, promoting the growth of agriculture, the production of typical local foods, wine and food culture, cultural tourism and the all-year-round tourism.
By “cooperating as a system” and working hard and seriously it is possible to achieve the goal of sustainable development and establish a new economic direction. And the South could, for once, be the driving force to get Italy moving again.
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