Videocracy

"The Shame of Europe"

2009 1h 25m IT

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 50

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In a country where bella figura is a national pastime, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is the maestro of media manipulation. Having risen to political primacy with the aid of his Mediaset empire, he now controls 90% of the bel paese’s television channels including the state-run RAI network. Quantity, it seems, does not equal quality. Fed on a diet of semi-naked dancing girls, inane competitions and rickety reality shows built around the most ridiculous of premises, is it any wonder that Italians are becoming a nation of fame-hungry wannabes?

“The Shame of Europe”

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Cast

Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore
Fabrizio Corona
Fabrizio Corona
Lele Mora
Lele Mora
Simona Ventura
Simona Ventura
Marella Giovannelli
Marella Giovannelli
Rick Canelli
Rick Canelli

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Erik Gandini
Writers: Erik Gandini, Erik Gandini, Erik Gandini
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Sweden

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Sweden.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Erik Gandini, shot by Manuel Alberto Claro. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Krister Linder. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Johan Söderberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Erik Gandini directs. Manuel Alberto Claro behind the camera. Krister Linder scores. Johan Söderberg cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Sweden. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $0.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Released 17 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
5International production across 4 countries: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Sweden.
6Directed by Erik Gandini, shot by Manuel Alberto Claro. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Krister Linder. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Johan Söderberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Silvio Berlusconi and Flavio Briatore and Fabrizio Corona carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "The Shame of Europe".
11IMDB entry: tt1500516 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Only 50 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.