FRANCESCA Controversy: Alessandra Mussolini Called “a Whore”
Monica Birladeanu in Francesca (top); Bobby Paunescu (bottom)
Romanian-born filmmaker Bobby Paunescu’s Francesca, which premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival, may be banned from Italian screens following a legal motion by far-right lawmaker Alessandra Mussolini (right), granddaughter of dictator Benito Mussolini and niece of Sophia Loren. Reason for Mussolini’s outrage: in one scene in Francesca, she is called "a whore." (In 2007, Mussolini created a furor after stating that all Romanians living in Italy were "criminals.")
According to reports, right-wing Verona mayor Flavio Tosi has said he has also filed a criminal complaint against Francesca because in the film he is depicted in a "vulgar" manner. Tosi, who has been accused of both racism and instigating racial hatred, is [...]
by Andre Soares | September 11, 2009
| Subscribe / Syndicate
Tags: Alessanda Mussolini, Bobby Paunescu, Censorship, Francesca, Monica Birladeanu, Politics
