Italian authors and screenwriters, with a statement, say they are against the decision by the Court of Taranto to halt the release of the TV series This is not Hollywood – Avetrana.
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| Image Credit: Disney+ |
After the decision by the Court of Taranto to halt the release on Disney+ of Avetrana – This is not Hollywood, the TV series centered on the well-known murder case of the young Sarah Scazzi, the Italian authors and screenwriters of the audiovisual world, represented by the associations 100autori, Anac, and WGI, have decided to express their concern with a decidedly harsh statement. “This is not Italy, it is Gotham City,” the associations wrote after the appeal, presented by the lawyers of the Municipality of Avetrana, in which they ask for the rectification of the title of the show as “harmful and defamatory” towards the country.
This is not Hollywood – Avetrana, the TV series has been suspended: the statement from Italian authors and screenwriters
The statement from 100autori, Anac, and WGI reads: “It’s news from these days: a court has suspended the broadcast of a TV series after accepting the appeal of the mayor of the town where it is set (also mentioned in the title) who believes that his community has been offended by how the authors have represented it. Those in the sector know well which series it is, but the title is secondary. As 100autori, Anac, and WGI, associations that represent the majority of Italian authors, directors, and screenwriters, we believe it is essential to express our concern in the face of a sensational case.” The associations then brought up other television and film productions: “Is a title or a setting enough to defame an entire community? Does Romanzo Criminale defame Rome? And did La saponificatrice di Correggio once cast the inhabitants of the charming Emilian town in a bad light? What about Violent Rome, Milan Caliber 9, and Naples Shoots! Let's also throw in Gangs of New York, a decidedly more international title. We don't see the mayor of the Big Apple taking it out on Scorsese."
Stressing that the issue is "an entirely Italian problem," the statement continues: "We are continually subjected to limitations and 'censorship,' starting with production companies and broadcasters who, for fear of being called before a judge and having to suspend production or broadcast, end up compressing the expressive space of us authors. It is an oppressive condition that makes it almost impossible to effectively tell our society and its gray areas, undermining the verisimilitude and credibility of our series and films. We hope that the judges will make their assessments with all the necessary serenity and we are confident about the outcome, but the fact that a court has accepted such an appeal is a dangerous precedent that risks turning into yet another argument for future interference. This is not Hollywood – Avetrana tells true events, it is inspired by a book, as well as the news of that terrible case”. What should the authors have done, set it in Duckburg?“.
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