Videocracy (2009) - full transcript
A look at segments of the Italian population who are consumed with celebrity worship.
- A chuck of flu...
- Cheers! It helps against the flu!
Hello to all our viewers!
- We are up there tonight...
- We're soaring in the sky.
This is how it all started.
One of the first local
commercial TV-stations.
They used this bar
as a television studio-
-and came up with an idea for
a late night quiz show.
Let's see... Hello?
It's only beeping...
Our friend Pino has a question for you.
Who holds the first place
in the slalom World Cup?
(Woman) Stenmark.
- Where are you calling from?
People called in.
If they came up with the right answer, a housewife
in the studio would start to take of her clothes.
The complaints came mostly
from the local factories.
(Gandini) Workers were staying up late to watch
the program and were to tiered for work in the morning.
- Let's ask someone.
- One of them is Stenmark, and the other?
- A man answered... Klammer.
The show was a hit,
what none of us knew-
-was that this was the birth
of the television of the President.
The beginning of the Cultural Revolution.
Thirty years later the television of the President,
has multiplied into a media empire-
-and made the president of television
the president of the whole country.
For us who grew up with it,
it's been a lifelong experience.
You can't make sense
of it from the outside.
You have to get closer,
deeper, inside of it, to grasp it.
My mom.
When I was young, I saw Bruce Lee
and watched my brother practice karate.
I began to dream about
being on TV.
It's precisely what
the power of television is.
That you always will be remembered.
When you're on television,
you're ten levels above everyone else.
If a girl ask me:
"What do you do?"
"I'm a mechanic. I use the lathe
the entire day and get dirty."
When she hear that, she says:
"Ok... bye."
Big Brother is incredible.
You participate in the program,
and you're simply yourself...
... maybe you win,
and then your life is settled.
House, car...
No more problems.
Christopher Reeves, now dead, who played
the leading part in the Superman movies.
Every time they broadcast them,
he's resurrected.
Through the TV-screens and
through the people.
He's reborn, he's immortal.
Ricky does not just daydream about the life
he could have if he got to television.
He focuses all his energy to be strong
in preparation for that chance.
He also has a plan of action
for how to get there.
I have practiced karate for 12 years.
I want to become a new van Damme...
I do a little bodybuilding to.
I like Ricky Martin. I know all of his
songs and dance a little like him.
I try to combine both of them,
Ricky Martin does not know martial arts-
-and Van Damme can't sing.
This combination of two characters,
has given Ricky some recognition locally.
But he has been having a hard time
taking it to the next level.
It's something strange about the whole thing...
I've been to at least twenty auditions
at a load of different locations, it's expensive...
But it has all been in vain.
At the headquarters of the television of the President,
hundreds of people gather every day-
-to audition to a place
in front of the camera.
Most of the programs
star ordinary people.
So everybody is given a chance
to show what they can.
That was not my best performance!
Can I do it again?
Okay, let's see what you can do.
- Do you got any television experience?
- Only as audience...
...in celebrity-shows, music-shows...
... and a talent-show on local-TV.
- Thanks a lot. Bye.
- Thank you.
Facing harsh competition, Ricky has to
wait for the day of his breakthrough.
So he spends his time getting
experiencing as audience.
Sitting just a few meters away from his dream,
at the Sposa perfetta, "The perfect bride".
A program where mothers try to find
wives for their unmarried sons.
Explain the plot of the show.
This show will be a success
in every italian home.
A cross-section of the Italian family,
with focus on mother-child relations.
Especially the mother-son relations.
Sweet idleness...
Mothers, you won't be needing to
do any housework this week.
All housework will be done
by your daughters-in-law.
You will be making beds, cleaning the house,
cleaning the bathrooms...
...do the dishes in the morning,
in the afternoon and in the evening...
...prepare breakfast, lunch,
afternoon snack and dinner...
And lastly, dear girls,
and it apply to everything in life...
You will be doing all of
this with a smile!
One, two, three!
Watching the show from the audience, means for Ricky,
being reminded of the reason why he has not made it yet.
The obstacle that keeps him
from reaching his dream.
The problem in becoming famous is
that there are so many girls.
They are ready to do anything
to be famous quickly.
Italian TV is crawling
with girls nowadays.
There are "veline", "letterine",
"letteronze", "schedine"...
There are so many...
The girls always steal our places,
they are the ones that attract an audience.
People at home, in Italy...
They get interested as soon as
they see half-naked girls in thong.
Hello! Stay here, don't go anywhere!
Let's get all the girls on the stage!
Come on! Give them some applause!
It's probably a dream for like 80 %
of all Italian girls.
Their goal is to become a "velina".
Then they become rich and famous,
when the marry football pros.
Their entire life changes.
That's why it's so
difficult for guys.
It is unjust. Why would I have to
be a mechanic all my life?
Our "veline"!
"Veline" are TV-show-girls.
They are not allowed to speak.
Their place is at the side of the host,
standing in what is called the "velina-position".
Their task is performing the "stacchetto".
The 30 second dance-brake designed to
keep the audience interested in the show.
The president has chosen a TV-show-girl
to become his minister of gender equality.
For thousands of girls, becoming a Velina,
is a unique opportunity to for fill their dreams.
Really good... So, why do you want
to become a "velina"?
First of all, because I want
a job that I like.
The second reason, is because I want
to marry a football player.
Do you have tattoos, moles, piercing?
- The other is on the bottom.
- On the bottom. Perfect.
Can you stand in profile
and raise your hair?
Very good, stand still...
And the other side.
Stop.
Take place on the stage. It's time
for your "stacchetto", 30 seconds.
I am dressed in white, the house is white,
the entire interior is white...
If anyone can turn the dream
into reality, he can.
Lele Mora, the most successful and
influential TV-agent in the country.
He brings his artists to this residence-
-in the mythical offshore resort of
Costa Smeralda, on the island of Sardinia.
And as personal friend with the president-
-he has the power to transform
ordinary people into TV-stars.
Who are your guests?
They are celebrities and friends of mine
who work within Italian television.
His name is Salvatore,
also called Sasa.
He is in the dating-show
"Uomini e donne", "Men and women".
He's on the throne.
This is Lorenzo.
From the second season of Big Brother.
He is a singer nowadays.
Especially in the shower...
Thank you, Lele.
And the others are friends on
vacation in "the White House".
Who could that be?
I meet a greet deal of people in Italy
and around the world when I travel.
If they have interesting qualities,
or abilities-
-I put them into service
and develop them.
I take in totally unknown people.
If they have talent, I develop them-
-and make them into stars in
the entertainment industry.
An agent must programme them,
make them grow, dress them-
-teach them how to behave,
what to say, how to dress...
Understand them.
I am thankful towards Silvio Berlusconi.
He allowed me to work with his TV-channels.
Silvio Berlusconi is a great man.
A great leader.
He can't live up to
the ideologies, the methods-
-and they way that was characteristic
for Benito Mussolini, but he is great.
I am a proud admirer of Mussolini.
I do not deny it.
I've got his complimentary
songs on my mobile phone.
- Can I hear it?
- Of course! Just wait a moment...
Watch!
Amusing, huh?
Here in Costa Smeralda the wealthiest
people in the country gather-
-with the TV-elite.
In the eyes of the people,
they are the ones who rule the country.
Because television and power
are one and the same here.
The President himself own the largest villa-
-and spends his summer here
surrounded by his friends.
Parties take place every night. The most
excessive ones at the Billionaire Club-
Owned by another close friend
of the President.
Who every year chooses a young woman to
be sent to the television of the president-
-to serve for two weeks
as a weather girl.
The new PR-agents for the
magical summer at Billionaire.
Twentyfour girls selected
throughout Italy.
"Billionaire Girls".
I have barely been at the Billionaire.
"Come here!" Flavio told me. But I said:
"I rather stay at home".
"Billionaire Girls".
I saw her last night at the
final of Miss Billionaire
I went there with some people...
"Billionaire Girls", where are you?
... and a girl from Lebanon where
there, very beautiful ...
"Billionaire Girls", come and dance!
You got to be MVP or VIP to get into
Sardinia's Billionaire Club.
A 2 300 square meters disco that accepts
only the biggest celebrities and the hottest models-
-and of course the wealthiest moguls.
A night club for the world's richest.
It's also a common draw for celebrities
like Danzel Washington and Paris Hilton-
-as well as Italy's Prime Minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi.
Who will be the "Billionaire girl"?
What do you really know
about weather forecasting?
I am always surrounded by people. Everyone
want to touch me, speak with me...
"Make me famous! Help me!"
"Make me rich, like all the other
famous stars you've created."
"Make me successful."
Costa Smeralda is a site of pilgrimage.
Visitors gather in the public places,
hoping for encounters with TV-people.
Everyone is busy taking photos.
That's what they get from Costa Smeralda.
This is the closest they can come.
None of them ever gets inside the
protected life inside the villas.
None of them can get as close as Marella,
the neighbor of the president.
That villa, with the small tower,
was bought by Shirley Bassey...
... an american singer from the 60s.
But then she sold it.
Further down the road is Berlusconi's villa.
My husband had just bought this villa
from the actress Claudia Cardinale.
So I had invent a job for myself.
First, I had to get a digital camera,
to be able to take photos at all the parties.
Marella has a unique access to
the local jet-set nightlife.
She takes photos even at the private
parties in the president's own villa.
Valuable photos that she makes avaible
for ordinary people to buy from a website.
This is from Lele Moras transvestite party.
Suddenly Mike Tyson showed up.
This is a good picture.
Here he smiles.
This is Tony Blair.
This is another International party.
All of Kadaffis sons where there.
The famous photo with
Berlusconi wearing a bandana.
I've got a enlargement on this one too.
Berlusconi is more natural
than the others.
That is how he is. I like him.
He've got something I really
appreciate in people. He is genuine.
He is natural. He is what he is.
He still amuse me. I like it
when he surprise you.
He loves life and the good in life.
He likes to have fun.
It takes five years to build,
and five minutes to destroy!
This is the famous picture
of the dominating left!
No-one can keep a smile
like the President.
Here he is welcomed in
the main town of the Costa Smeralda.
His smile is seen by
many with suspicion.
Because it is the front of a perfect
system of politics and TV-entertainment.
But his smile comes from a true desire to have fun.
By having fun he has become the
wealthiest man in the country.
The largest media owner
and the President.
He has given himself
immunity against prosecution.
And here he has been granted the citizenship
of honorary of Costa Smeralda.
Between all of my residence, the residence
I the love most is the one I have here in Olbia.
I'm creating a botanical garden at the moment.
I expect it to be the most beautiful
in Italy, and not only in Italy.
He have also founded a huge park-
-with a famous active volcano.
He has a remote-controlled device
with wireless connection.
He controls it, and suddenly he
activates the volcano on a hill.
It produces light effects, erupts fire,
flames and ashes...
Once in a while he triggers these eruptions,
until the fire department arrive...
He has a lot of fun. He has built a
labyrinth were his guests get lost.
He loves to go and get them.
To devote 50 % of your time
to make Italy a credible nation-
-on the international arena,
is very demanding.
The president has created all of this.
Living here, we have the feeling that he
is everywhere, even when not visually present.
Many love him, and they love his television.
Many want to be on his television.
Only the three commercial TV channels,
and being in control of the state television,
he runs 90 % of the nations TV.
But it is not just the ownership and
the control that makes him so present.
There's more to this.
To understand, you have to look
in the heart of the TV-studios.
Inside their most hidden rooms.
The aquarium, the secret corridor-
-between the house of the Big Brother
and the world outside.
The director of the TV show, Fabio.
He's the man in charge of the control room.
Camera five, prepare! Camera two!
A better picture! Prepare, camera three!
Camera 2! Camera nine! Camera four!
Attention... Put it on! No, wait!
Give me a total picture!
Put the effects on! And the dancers!
Now! Now! Now!
Fabio is the one who can best explain the connection-
-between the flow of images and the president.
This flow is a mirror of
the President's personality.
Of his dreams, his visions.
Luscious women...
...half naked... big breasts...
Wealth, lights, colours...
It is very striking...
...the resemblance between his character
and the television has created.
Life can be wonderful,
just like on television.
More perfect, more colourful, more dazzling.
When the President himself
is appearing on television-
-Fabio receives orders to
stop his program earlier.
In the hope that viewers switch over to
the channel where the president is appearing.
Then they say: "Tonight's show
does not end 23.40, but 23.30"
"A political talk-show is airing.
We have to finish in time."
"They have decided it."
Fabio! Fade to black!
It's enough! Fuck off! I am in charge!
Out before the titles ...
Three, two, one... now!
For the latest twelfth years, I have
not made a single phone call-
-out of fear that someone may say
that I'm still interested in my business.
For the latest twelfth years, I've had the
support of the freedom loving people of Italy.
I tell them: I was elected to President.
Running both the country and its
television hasn't been without its critics.
Even abroad, there have been questions.
Colleagues!
The Italian newspapers and
especially the TV-channels-
-that still belong to my media group,
belong to our most eager critics.
Why is that?
Clearly you do not have the sun of Italy!
You have never been there and you have
never turned on... never turned on...
...an Italian TV.
At home, it is a different story.
This is one of his campaign videos,
meant to be sung together.
There is a dream, alive in us all
Because we are the people of freedom
President, we are with you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
We are the people that never give up
That reach out a hand
and help each other.
President, we are with you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
Long live Italy!
Italy that have chosen, to continue
to believe in this dream
President, we are with you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
So say it now
With the strength, that only
those with a pure mind possess
President, we are with you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
President, we sing for you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
Things have gone well
for the president.
He has become an icon in
the eyes of both women and men.
And he is very aware
of his own image.
The president has sent his staff to
search through his countries photo archives-
-and removes the photos
that can damage his image.
There is power in
the perfect image.
But all this obsession, showing perfection
It have given birth to dark forces
outside the television studios.
Forces not willing to
follow the rules.
Stay-ups... a hooker.
She got to be a hooker.
There he is.
Take some photos!
Every night, paparazzi
cruise the streets-
-chasing celebrities,
looking for imperfection.
120 million copies of gossip
magazines sold every year.
These photo snipers
are not random soldiers.
They have a commander running
their operations: Fabrizio Corona.
I hate all this people.
When i was young, I tried to be friend
with football players and celebrities.
When i came in their world,
I saw they were assholes, everybody.
So I said: "You play with the
people who let you be famous"
"You don't care about the people. You only
care about yourself and your money."
"I will be Robin Hood of the people."
I take from the rich, but don't give
it to the people, I give it to me.
A modern form of Robin Hood.
- Fabri!
- Yes?
There is no one outside Giannino.
I saw Ringo and his girl.
And a bunch of other
people inside. Di Lettuso...
Yes...
- How is it at lbiza then?
- I have not been there yet.
Go there and call me
in two minutes. Bye.
If I see a celebrity,
I say: "Come on..."
I see money.
Not person.
I see business.
There he is! There he is!
Out of the car, Luca!
Corona is not a paparazzo.
He does not shot photos, he sells them.
Mostly, he gathers intelligence.
Who is who. Who does what.
And most important, who is
doing private secret things-
-that may have a value
if captured on photograph.
Coronas methods are unconventional.
He take compromising
photos of celebrities.
Instead of selling them to magazines,
he sells to the celebrities themselves-
-who pay to protect their image.
Crown and his band of paparazzi are
not really outsiders to the TV-elite.
Corona has seen this
world from the inside.
That is because for years, he worked assisting
the most powerful TV-agent in the country.
Yes, the same Lele Mora.
Lele Mora saw promise in Corona.
Now they are close friends.
Almost like father and son.
He is a fun and pleasant guy.
His only flaw is that he
is obsessed with money.
He would take photos of mothers,
children, wives... Anything to make money.
Maybe that's how he is. I do
not want to accuse him.
On the contrary. I have
always defended him, because...
I know him, he got sound principles.
A person with good aspects.
Here is Fabrizio Corona arriving
to the prison in Potenza. VIP-photographer-
-who owns the photo agency Corona's, was arrested
early this morning at his home in Milan.
Corona's unconventional methods-
-got him into trouble with the law.
He is under investigation for extortion.
The story is big in the country,
because it's about people who are famous.
Lele Mora is also involved in the scandal.
They say he told Corona
secrets about celebrities-
-helping Corona to take advantage
of their private affairs.
Corona is and continue to be my friend.
Nothing have changed.
I was calm when I arrived,
and I leave equally calm.
You told a joke earlier, didn't you?
My mother taught me that, if you don't do
anything evil in life, you've got nothing to fear.
Lele Mora is freed from all charges.
But Crown is sentenced
to 80 days in prison.
He sees in this an opportunity.
A chance to turn things
to his own advantage.
Corona knows that the cameras is waiting
for him at the day of his release.
So he prepare a TV-statment-
-intended to make people forget
about his criminal acts.
A 30 seconds speech, that will
reinvent him as a victim.
Jailed for revealing the truth,
about the immoral behaviour of celebrities.
I will only say one thing.
I wont make any statements.
I only need to tell you one thing.
But you have to stay calm.
What I have suffered in these 80 days,
because of many people, because of the state-
-but above all because of
the attorney... is shameful.
I felt like a hostage of
the State, but soon I am free!
And then they will fucking
get what they deserve!
The plan works, from this moment
he has become what he used to hate:
A famous person.
Corona...
He is always here. Why?
That Lele More control everyone
like marionettes, he always has.
He is the one who pull the strings.
He is a friend of Berlusconi,
and all the influential people.
If I were Berlusconi I would not invite
him to my home or visit his home.
This investigation is mere free advertisement.
I prepared everything in jail.
Wrote the book, planned the record-
-the song, the t-shirt... Everything!
It takes some skills. And I am a genius.
Now there is Corona the character.
Who wrote the book, recorded the record, will make
a film, have a website with a blog and podcasts...
I have became a symbol,
like Scarface and Al Pacino...
A negative symbol, that people still want to imitate.
Cynical, ruthless, a modern Robin Hood,
robbing from the rich to give to himself.
Thanks to television,
I've made a lot of money.
I have made a profit around
2 400 000 euros after tax.
It is a lot. I am not a football-pro.
They give me 10 000 euros to be at
a night club for an hour. 10 000 euros!
A round of applause for Mr. Corona,
coming down the stairs on our left!
Don't be shy, he is here now!
You won't need to buy gossip magazines.
If it is gossip you want,
you can get it from him.
What he do not know,
he caught on photo.
I wanted to know what the women think about
Corona, from an aesthetic point of view...
What do you think about loyalty?
I am 100 % convinced, that there is not
a single loyal couple in ltaly.
It's elections soon...
Have you thought about
becoming a politician?
When I got out of jail,
I had thousands of offers.
I'm convinced that all
Italian laws are completely wrong.
Italy is a rotten nation.
This is another example.
The only advantage of the politics
is that you get immunity-
-and can commit all the crimes you want.
The most important is to get great deal
of power, then you can do whatever you want.
The people you meet at the night clubs...
are people who inspire you, to respect ...
What do you get from them?
Do you respect them?
They are people who...
You made me think.
I can't get it that guys in Corona-shirts
tell me: "You are cool! You are best!"
Why?
"You are a God!"
There are people who worship me.
Posters, photos ...
- What do you mean?
- I don't ask myself why...
In reality, it's all so pointless.
I get out of jail, tanned, god physics, tattooed and
talk bullshit...
People do not listen to what I say,
they only see the celebrity.
Of course... if I was short and fat
I would never have become famous.
I told him that if he moves away,
I will be alone in the house.
I don't have any other sons as company,
he is the only one who live at home.
If mother got it her way, I would only sit here and gorge...
- What are you trying to say?
- You are full of shit! It's not true.
She has not found a girlfriend yet,
and he is 26 years old! What's the reason?
Nobody deserves me.
Last week I went out to dinner with a girl.
Unfortunately, I told mother where I went.
She came to the restaurant to spy on me!
You knew were I was going.
And I said: "Please do not show up."
But she came there anyway.
Fortunately, I changed the restaurant.
Imagine that you are at a restaurant
with a girl, the first date...
Suddenly my mom shows up: "Hello! I'm Riccardo's mother."
Stat at home!
I took the car to go to Sarnico to buy ice-cream.
Sarnico is big! Did she have to
go to the same restaurant as me?
I was told Riccardo was at L'Approdo.
My friend wanted to buy me a drink...
Who?
It's much easier for a girl...
If you're a guy, you have to compromise...
it is not easy.
If you have to offer your body to a man with a lot of power...
...there would be rumors: "He only got
his job because he offered his.."
Only to participate as audience.
How can you reduce yourself to that level?
Only if I were given the
leading part in a film...
If they introduced me as Italy's "Van Damme"
and I got a break through...
Then I could do it once.
You will become famous, rich and get girls...
The more famous you are, the more girls you get.
Do you get it? It means everything.
For every project in my entire life-
-I have been told by others that they
were to ambitious. Every project!
"Let's make a city for 4 000 inhabitants."
"Imposible", they said. I did it.
I made one for 12 000.
I made on for 18 000.
When I said: "We will become the largest
publisher in Italy together with Mondadori."
I did it also.
"Milan will become the world's best
football team." It was made so.
"I will start a political party, we will
rule the nation." It took three months.
Let me enjoy my moments of pride.
Who in Italy can compare themselves,
regarding personal success-
-with Silvio Berlusconi? Tell me.
Having a super powerful personality
pays of, in this country ruled by TV.
Being shy, humble and soft spoken
does not work as well on the screen.
Corona works hard to bee seen as the
one who is most daring challenging authority.
At one point he even goes as far as to
take pictures of the president's daughter.
She does not like how
she looks in the photos.
So the president pays Corona to
keep them from being published.
Ring, ring... It is Fabrizio Corona.
How are you, Miti?
Miti is responsible for the
press in the Berlusconi family.
I call her and chat a little.
Of course she knows I've got some photos.
I tell her I've got photos of Barbara
and she ask me to send them over.
Then she says: "This was not any
good pictures. I will talk to Barbara."
"How much do you want? 20 000? Okay.
Send an invoice, I keep the photos."
"Bye, Miti", I say.
Finished. It's simple.
Later, the president decides to publish
the photos himself, in one of his own magazines.
As the owner of every major gossip magazine-
-the president makes a profit on most photos.
An exercise of power that Corona deeply admires.
I think that Berlusconi, is a
model for all Italian businessmen.
If you want to go forward, if you
want to reach your goal-
-you have to use dirty tricks.
If you do it to reach
your goals, it's justified.
I admire him in that sense,
as a businessmen.
Coronas gangster-image continue to
get him in trouble with the law.
A number of trials against him have
taken it's toll, even on his popularity.
Desperate for exposure, he starts
visiting the sites of murder scenes-
-that get big TV-coverige.
He offers money to a man, whose wife
and son were brutally murdered-
-to get him to wear a Corona T-shirt
at the funeral, in front of all camera crews.
The plan fails and he wanders
to the next murder scene.
...trails of blood that
were found in the house.
Fabrizio CoronaIn showed up in Garlasco today.
The photographer who recently
served 80 days in prison-
-claimed that he would do a
story about the Cappa twins.
The father of the girls said he
did not want know of him.
He is mad. Why is he visiting crime scenes?
"I am a journalist." What the fuck is he
talking about? Interview the twins...
They are suspected for murder!
How the fuck did he think?
"Do whatever the fuck you want!" I told him.
He is crazy. He have become insane.
I will not call, I don't give a shit.
It's useless, only a waste of time.
He is on his own.
Now he says he
have to fuck every day.
"I want to be able to fuck every day,
but you forbid me to do things."
I said: "Do whatever the fuck you want."
Something is wrong in his head.
Okay. Bye.
In one of his final moves, Corona
wires himself with a hidden camera.
This is his lawyer, helping him
to mount the camera.
He is filming his famous model wife,
in this courtroom, at their own divorce.
First document.
You have read it a thousand times.
Make sure he signs it.
Wait, I'm separating.
He sells this photage exclusively
to the television of the president.
Which broadcasts it that evening,
in the late night news show.
Ladies and gentlemen, he is here!
Applause for Fabrizio Corona!
He is here with us!
This saturday night, we are proud
to present, ladies and gentlemen...
The man you have all been waiting for!
Applause for...
Fabrizio Corona!
Look at all the flashes and camera phones...
He is here and will sing for us.
Riccardo with ants in his pants!
Without TV, you can't do anything.
The television is a magic box...
Every family have one.
You put it on. People see you at
home and you become famous.
Anyone can become famous.
It's only a question about being visible.
In the world press freedom
index Italy is ranked 77th.
In the worlds list of gender
equality Italy is ranked 84th.
80 % of Italians use TV as
the main source of information.
- Cheers! It helps against the flu!
Hello to all our viewers!
- We are up there tonight...
- We're soaring in the sky.
This is how it all started.
One of the first local
commercial TV-stations.
They used this bar
as a television studio-
-and came up with an idea for
a late night quiz show.
Let's see... Hello?
It's only beeping...
Our friend Pino has a question for you.
Who holds the first place
in the slalom World Cup?
(Woman) Stenmark.
- Where are you calling from?
People called in.
If they came up with the right answer, a housewife
in the studio would start to take of her clothes.
The complaints came mostly
from the local factories.
(Gandini) Workers were staying up late to watch
the program and were to tiered for work in the morning.
- Let's ask someone.
- One of them is Stenmark, and the other?
- A man answered... Klammer.
The show was a hit,
what none of us knew-
-was that this was the birth
of the television of the President.
The beginning of the Cultural Revolution.
Thirty years later the television of the President,
has multiplied into a media empire-
-and made the president of television
the president of the whole country.
For us who grew up with it,
it's been a lifelong experience.
You can't make sense
of it from the outside.
You have to get closer,
deeper, inside of it, to grasp it.
My mom.
When I was young, I saw Bruce Lee
and watched my brother practice karate.
I began to dream about
being on TV.
It's precisely what
the power of television is.
That you always will be remembered.
When you're on television,
you're ten levels above everyone else.
If a girl ask me:
"What do you do?"
"I'm a mechanic. I use the lathe
the entire day and get dirty."
When she hear that, she says:
"Ok... bye."
Big Brother is incredible.
You participate in the program,
and you're simply yourself...
... maybe you win,
and then your life is settled.
House, car...
No more problems.
Christopher Reeves, now dead, who played
the leading part in the Superman movies.
Every time they broadcast them,
he's resurrected.
Through the TV-screens and
through the people.
He's reborn, he's immortal.
Ricky does not just daydream about the life
he could have if he got to television.
He focuses all his energy to be strong
in preparation for that chance.
He also has a plan of action
for how to get there.
I have practiced karate for 12 years.
I want to become a new van Damme...
I do a little bodybuilding to.
I like Ricky Martin. I know all of his
songs and dance a little like him.
I try to combine both of them,
Ricky Martin does not know martial arts-
-and Van Damme can't sing.
This combination of two characters,
has given Ricky some recognition locally.
But he has been having a hard time
taking it to the next level.
It's something strange about the whole thing...
I've been to at least twenty auditions
at a load of different locations, it's expensive...
But it has all been in vain.
At the headquarters of the television of the President,
hundreds of people gather every day-
-to audition to a place
in front of the camera.
Most of the programs
star ordinary people.
So everybody is given a chance
to show what they can.
That was not my best performance!
Can I do it again?
Okay, let's see what you can do.
- Do you got any television experience?
- Only as audience...
...in celebrity-shows, music-shows...
... and a talent-show on local-TV.
- Thanks a lot. Bye.
- Thank you.
Facing harsh competition, Ricky has to
wait for the day of his breakthrough.
So he spends his time getting
experiencing as audience.
Sitting just a few meters away from his dream,
at the Sposa perfetta, "The perfect bride".
A program where mothers try to find
wives for their unmarried sons.
Explain the plot of the show.
This show will be a success
in every italian home.
A cross-section of the Italian family,
with focus on mother-child relations.
Especially the mother-son relations.
Sweet idleness...
Mothers, you won't be needing to
do any housework this week.
All housework will be done
by your daughters-in-law.
You will be making beds, cleaning the house,
cleaning the bathrooms...
...do the dishes in the morning,
in the afternoon and in the evening...
...prepare breakfast, lunch,
afternoon snack and dinner...
And lastly, dear girls,
and it apply to everything in life...
You will be doing all of
this with a smile!
One, two, three!
Watching the show from the audience, means for Ricky,
being reminded of the reason why he has not made it yet.
The obstacle that keeps him
from reaching his dream.
The problem in becoming famous is
that there are so many girls.
They are ready to do anything
to be famous quickly.
Italian TV is crawling
with girls nowadays.
There are "veline", "letterine",
"letteronze", "schedine"...
There are so many...
The girls always steal our places,
they are the ones that attract an audience.
People at home, in Italy...
They get interested as soon as
they see half-naked girls in thong.
Hello! Stay here, don't go anywhere!
Let's get all the girls on the stage!
Come on! Give them some applause!
It's probably a dream for like 80 %
of all Italian girls.
Their goal is to become a "velina".
Then they become rich and famous,
when the marry football pros.
Their entire life changes.
That's why it's so
difficult for guys.
It is unjust. Why would I have to
be a mechanic all my life?
Our "veline"!
"Veline" are TV-show-girls.
They are not allowed to speak.
Their place is at the side of the host,
standing in what is called the "velina-position".
Their task is performing the "stacchetto".
The 30 second dance-brake designed to
keep the audience interested in the show.
The president has chosen a TV-show-girl
to become his minister of gender equality.
For thousands of girls, becoming a Velina,
is a unique opportunity to for fill their dreams.
Really good... So, why do you want
to become a "velina"?
First of all, because I want
a job that I like.
The second reason, is because I want
to marry a football player.
Do you have tattoos, moles, piercing?
- The other is on the bottom.
- On the bottom. Perfect.
Can you stand in profile
and raise your hair?
Very good, stand still...
And the other side.
Stop.
Take place on the stage. It's time
for your "stacchetto", 30 seconds.
I am dressed in white, the house is white,
the entire interior is white...
If anyone can turn the dream
into reality, he can.
Lele Mora, the most successful and
influential TV-agent in the country.
He brings his artists to this residence-
-in the mythical offshore resort of
Costa Smeralda, on the island of Sardinia.
And as personal friend with the president-
-he has the power to transform
ordinary people into TV-stars.
Who are your guests?
They are celebrities and friends of mine
who work within Italian television.
His name is Salvatore,
also called Sasa.
He is in the dating-show
"Uomini e donne", "Men and women".
He's on the throne.
This is Lorenzo.
From the second season of Big Brother.
He is a singer nowadays.
Especially in the shower...
Thank you, Lele.
And the others are friends on
vacation in "the White House".
Who could that be?
I meet a greet deal of people in Italy
and around the world when I travel.
If they have interesting qualities,
or abilities-
-I put them into service
and develop them.
I take in totally unknown people.
If they have talent, I develop them-
-and make them into stars in
the entertainment industry.
An agent must programme them,
make them grow, dress them-
-teach them how to behave,
what to say, how to dress...
Understand them.
I am thankful towards Silvio Berlusconi.
He allowed me to work with his TV-channels.
Silvio Berlusconi is a great man.
A great leader.
He can't live up to
the ideologies, the methods-
-and they way that was characteristic
for Benito Mussolini, but he is great.
I am a proud admirer of Mussolini.
I do not deny it.
I've got his complimentary
songs on my mobile phone.
- Can I hear it?
- Of course! Just wait a moment...
Watch!
Amusing, huh?
Here in Costa Smeralda the wealthiest
people in the country gather-
-with the TV-elite.
In the eyes of the people,
they are the ones who rule the country.
Because television and power
are one and the same here.
The President himself own the largest villa-
-and spends his summer here
surrounded by his friends.
Parties take place every night. The most
excessive ones at the Billionaire Club-
Owned by another close friend
of the President.
Who every year chooses a young woman to
be sent to the television of the president-
-to serve for two weeks
as a weather girl.
The new PR-agents for the
magical summer at Billionaire.
Twentyfour girls selected
throughout Italy.
"Billionaire Girls".
I have barely been at the Billionaire.
"Come here!" Flavio told me. But I said:
"I rather stay at home".
"Billionaire Girls".
I saw her last night at the
final of Miss Billionaire
I went there with some people...
"Billionaire Girls", where are you?
... and a girl from Lebanon where
there, very beautiful ...
"Billionaire Girls", come and dance!
You got to be MVP or VIP to get into
Sardinia's Billionaire Club.
A 2 300 square meters disco that accepts
only the biggest celebrities and the hottest models-
-and of course the wealthiest moguls.
A night club for the world's richest.
It's also a common draw for celebrities
like Danzel Washington and Paris Hilton-
-as well as Italy's Prime Minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi.
Who will be the "Billionaire girl"?
What do you really know
about weather forecasting?
I am always surrounded by people. Everyone
want to touch me, speak with me...
"Make me famous! Help me!"
"Make me rich, like all the other
famous stars you've created."
"Make me successful."
Costa Smeralda is a site of pilgrimage.
Visitors gather in the public places,
hoping for encounters with TV-people.
Everyone is busy taking photos.
That's what they get from Costa Smeralda.
This is the closest they can come.
None of them ever gets inside the
protected life inside the villas.
None of them can get as close as Marella,
the neighbor of the president.
That villa, with the small tower,
was bought by Shirley Bassey...
... an american singer from the 60s.
But then she sold it.
Further down the road is Berlusconi's villa.
My husband had just bought this villa
from the actress Claudia Cardinale.
So I had invent a job for myself.
First, I had to get a digital camera,
to be able to take photos at all the parties.
Marella has a unique access to
the local jet-set nightlife.
She takes photos even at the private
parties in the president's own villa.
Valuable photos that she makes avaible
for ordinary people to buy from a website.
This is from Lele Moras transvestite party.
Suddenly Mike Tyson showed up.
This is a good picture.
Here he smiles.
This is Tony Blair.
This is another International party.
All of Kadaffis sons where there.
The famous photo with
Berlusconi wearing a bandana.
I've got a enlargement on this one too.
Berlusconi is more natural
than the others.
That is how he is. I like him.
He've got something I really
appreciate in people. He is genuine.
He is natural. He is what he is.
He still amuse me. I like it
when he surprise you.
He loves life and the good in life.
He likes to have fun.
It takes five years to build,
and five minutes to destroy!
This is the famous picture
of the dominating left!
No-one can keep a smile
like the President.
Here he is welcomed in
the main town of the Costa Smeralda.
His smile is seen by
many with suspicion.
Because it is the front of a perfect
system of politics and TV-entertainment.
But his smile comes from a true desire to have fun.
By having fun he has become the
wealthiest man in the country.
The largest media owner
and the President.
He has given himself
immunity against prosecution.
And here he has been granted the citizenship
of honorary of Costa Smeralda.
Between all of my residence, the residence
I the love most is the one I have here in Olbia.
I'm creating a botanical garden at the moment.
I expect it to be the most beautiful
in Italy, and not only in Italy.
He have also founded a huge park-
-with a famous active volcano.
He has a remote-controlled device
with wireless connection.
He controls it, and suddenly he
activates the volcano on a hill.
It produces light effects, erupts fire,
flames and ashes...
Once in a while he triggers these eruptions,
until the fire department arrive...
He has a lot of fun. He has built a
labyrinth were his guests get lost.
He loves to go and get them.
To devote 50 % of your time
to make Italy a credible nation-
-on the international arena,
is very demanding.
The president has created all of this.
Living here, we have the feeling that he
is everywhere, even when not visually present.
Many love him, and they love his television.
Many want to be on his television.
Only the three commercial TV channels,
and being in control of the state television,
he runs 90 % of the nations TV.
But it is not just the ownership and
the control that makes him so present.
There's more to this.
To understand, you have to look
in the heart of the TV-studios.
Inside their most hidden rooms.
The aquarium, the secret corridor-
-between the house of the Big Brother
and the world outside.
The director of the TV show, Fabio.
He's the man in charge of the control room.
Camera five, prepare! Camera two!
A better picture! Prepare, camera three!
Camera 2! Camera nine! Camera four!
Attention... Put it on! No, wait!
Give me a total picture!
Put the effects on! And the dancers!
Now! Now! Now!
Fabio is the one who can best explain the connection-
-between the flow of images and the president.
This flow is a mirror of
the President's personality.
Of his dreams, his visions.
Luscious women...
...half naked... big breasts...
Wealth, lights, colours...
It is very striking...
...the resemblance between his character
and the television has created.
Life can be wonderful,
just like on television.
More perfect, more colourful, more dazzling.
When the President himself
is appearing on television-
-Fabio receives orders to
stop his program earlier.
In the hope that viewers switch over to
the channel where the president is appearing.
Then they say: "Tonight's show
does not end 23.40, but 23.30"
"A political talk-show is airing.
We have to finish in time."
"They have decided it."
Fabio! Fade to black!
It's enough! Fuck off! I am in charge!
Out before the titles ...
Three, two, one... now!
For the latest twelfth years, I have
not made a single phone call-
-out of fear that someone may say
that I'm still interested in my business.
For the latest twelfth years, I've had the
support of the freedom loving people of Italy.
I tell them: I was elected to President.
Running both the country and its
television hasn't been without its critics.
Even abroad, there have been questions.
Colleagues!
The Italian newspapers and
especially the TV-channels-
-that still belong to my media group,
belong to our most eager critics.
Why is that?
Clearly you do not have the sun of Italy!
You have never been there and you have
never turned on... never turned on...
...an Italian TV.
At home, it is a different story.
This is one of his campaign videos,
meant to be sung together.
There is a dream, alive in us all
Because we are the people of freedom
President, we are with you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
We are the people that never give up
That reach out a hand
and help each other.
President, we are with you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
Long live Italy!
Italy that have chosen, to continue
to believe in this dream
President, we are with you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
So say it now
With the strength, that only
those with a pure mind possess
President, we are with you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
President, we sing for you
Thank god that Silvio exists!
Things have gone well
for the president.
He has become an icon in
the eyes of both women and men.
And he is very aware
of his own image.
The president has sent his staff to
search through his countries photo archives-
-and removes the photos
that can damage his image.
There is power in
the perfect image.
But all this obsession, showing perfection
It have given birth to dark forces
outside the television studios.
Forces not willing to
follow the rules.
Stay-ups... a hooker.
She got to be a hooker.
There he is.
Take some photos!
Every night, paparazzi
cruise the streets-
-chasing celebrities,
looking for imperfection.
120 million copies of gossip
magazines sold every year.
These photo snipers
are not random soldiers.
They have a commander running
their operations: Fabrizio Corona.
I hate all this people.
When i was young, I tried to be friend
with football players and celebrities.
When i came in their world,
I saw they were assholes, everybody.
So I said: "You play with the
people who let you be famous"
"You don't care about the people. You only
care about yourself and your money."
"I will be Robin Hood of the people."
I take from the rich, but don't give
it to the people, I give it to me.
A modern form of Robin Hood.
- Fabri!
- Yes?
There is no one outside Giannino.
I saw Ringo and his girl.
And a bunch of other
people inside. Di Lettuso...
Yes...
- How is it at lbiza then?
- I have not been there yet.
Go there and call me
in two minutes. Bye.
If I see a celebrity,
I say: "Come on..."
I see money.
Not person.
I see business.
There he is! There he is!
Out of the car, Luca!
Corona is not a paparazzo.
He does not shot photos, he sells them.
Mostly, he gathers intelligence.
Who is who. Who does what.
And most important, who is
doing private secret things-
-that may have a value
if captured on photograph.
Coronas methods are unconventional.
He take compromising
photos of celebrities.
Instead of selling them to magazines,
he sells to the celebrities themselves-
-who pay to protect their image.
Crown and his band of paparazzi are
not really outsiders to the TV-elite.
Corona has seen this
world from the inside.
That is because for years, he worked assisting
the most powerful TV-agent in the country.
Yes, the same Lele Mora.
Lele Mora saw promise in Corona.
Now they are close friends.
Almost like father and son.
He is a fun and pleasant guy.
His only flaw is that he
is obsessed with money.
He would take photos of mothers,
children, wives... Anything to make money.
Maybe that's how he is. I do
not want to accuse him.
On the contrary. I have
always defended him, because...
I know him, he got sound principles.
A person with good aspects.
Here is Fabrizio Corona arriving
to the prison in Potenza. VIP-photographer-
-who owns the photo agency Corona's, was arrested
early this morning at his home in Milan.
Corona's unconventional methods-
-got him into trouble with the law.
He is under investigation for extortion.
The story is big in the country,
because it's about people who are famous.
Lele Mora is also involved in the scandal.
They say he told Corona
secrets about celebrities-
-helping Corona to take advantage
of their private affairs.
Corona is and continue to be my friend.
Nothing have changed.
I was calm when I arrived,
and I leave equally calm.
You told a joke earlier, didn't you?
My mother taught me that, if you don't do
anything evil in life, you've got nothing to fear.
Lele Mora is freed from all charges.
But Crown is sentenced
to 80 days in prison.
He sees in this an opportunity.
A chance to turn things
to his own advantage.
Corona knows that the cameras is waiting
for him at the day of his release.
So he prepare a TV-statment-
-intended to make people forget
about his criminal acts.
A 30 seconds speech, that will
reinvent him as a victim.
Jailed for revealing the truth,
about the immoral behaviour of celebrities.
I will only say one thing.
I wont make any statements.
I only need to tell you one thing.
But you have to stay calm.
What I have suffered in these 80 days,
because of many people, because of the state-
-but above all because of
the attorney... is shameful.
I felt like a hostage of
the State, but soon I am free!
And then they will fucking
get what they deserve!
The plan works, from this moment
he has become what he used to hate:
A famous person.
Corona...
He is always here. Why?
That Lele More control everyone
like marionettes, he always has.
He is the one who pull the strings.
He is a friend of Berlusconi,
and all the influential people.
If I were Berlusconi I would not invite
him to my home or visit his home.
This investigation is mere free advertisement.
I prepared everything in jail.
Wrote the book, planned the record-
-the song, the t-shirt... Everything!
It takes some skills. And I am a genius.
Now there is Corona the character.
Who wrote the book, recorded the record, will make
a film, have a website with a blog and podcasts...
I have became a symbol,
like Scarface and Al Pacino...
A negative symbol, that people still want to imitate.
Cynical, ruthless, a modern Robin Hood,
robbing from the rich to give to himself.
Thanks to television,
I've made a lot of money.
I have made a profit around
2 400 000 euros after tax.
It is a lot. I am not a football-pro.
They give me 10 000 euros to be at
a night club for an hour. 10 000 euros!
A round of applause for Mr. Corona,
coming down the stairs on our left!
Don't be shy, he is here now!
You won't need to buy gossip magazines.
If it is gossip you want,
you can get it from him.
What he do not know,
he caught on photo.
I wanted to know what the women think about
Corona, from an aesthetic point of view...
What do you think about loyalty?
I am 100 % convinced, that there is not
a single loyal couple in ltaly.
It's elections soon...
Have you thought about
becoming a politician?
When I got out of jail,
I had thousands of offers.
I'm convinced that all
Italian laws are completely wrong.
Italy is a rotten nation.
This is another example.
The only advantage of the politics
is that you get immunity-
-and can commit all the crimes you want.
The most important is to get great deal
of power, then you can do whatever you want.
The people you meet at the night clubs...
are people who inspire you, to respect ...
What do you get from them?
Do you respect them?
They are people who...
You made me think.
I can't get it that guys in Corona-shirts
tell me: "You are cool! You are best!"
Why?
"You are a God!"
There are people who worship me.
Posters, photos ...
- What do you mean?
- I don't ask myself why...
In reality, it's all so pointless.
I get out of jail, tanned, god physics, tattooed and
talk bullshit...
People do not listen to what I say,
they only see the celebrity.
Of course... if I was short and fat
I would never have become famous.
I told him that if he moves away,
I will be alone in the house.
I don't have any other sons as company,
he is the only one who live at home.
If mother got it her way, I would only sit here and gorge...
- What are you trying to say?
- You are full of shit! It's not true.
She has not found a girlfriend yet,
and he is 26 years old! What's the reason?
Nobody deserves me.
Last week I went out to dinner with a girl.
Unfortunately, I told mother where I went.
She came to the restaurant to spy on me!
You knew were I was going.
And I said: "Please do not show up."
But she came there anyway.
Fortunately, I changed the restaurant.
Imagine that you are at a restaurant
with a girl, the first date...
Suddenly my mom shows up: "Hello! I'm Riccardo's mother."
Stat at home!
I took the car to go to Sarnico to buy ice-cream.
Sarnico is big! Did she have to
go to the same restaurant as me?
I was told Riccardo was at L'Approdo.
My friend wanted to buy me a drink...
Who?
It's much easier for a girl...
If you're a guy, you have to compromise...
it is not easy.
If you have to offer your body to a man with a lot of power...
...there would be rumors: "He only got
his job because he offered his.."
Only to participate as audience.
How can you reduce yourself to that level?
Only if I were given the
leading part in a film...
If they introduced me as Italy's "Van Damme"
and I got a break through...
Then I could do it once.
You will become famous, rich and get girls...
The more famous you are, the more girls you get.
Do you get it? It means everything.
For every project in my entire life-
-I have been told by others that they
were to ambitious. Every project!
"Let's make a city for 4 000 inhabitants."
"Imposible", they said. I did it.
I made one for 12 000.
I made on for 18 000.
When I said: "We will become the largest
publisher in Italy together with Mondadori."
I did it also.
"Milan will become the world's best
football team." It was made so.
"I will start a political party, we will
rule the nation." It took three months.
Let me enjoy my moments of pride.
Who in Italy can compare themselves,
regarding personal success-
-with Silvio Berlusconi? Tell me.
Having a super powerful personality
pays of, in this country ruled by TV.
Being shy, humble and soft spoken
does not work as well on the screen.
Corona works hard to bee seen as the
one who is most daring challenging authority.
At one point he even goes as far as to
take pictures of the president's daughter.
She does not like how
she looks in the photos.
So the president pays Corona to
keep them from being published.
Ring, ring... It is Fabrizio Corona.
How are you, Miti?
Miti is responsible for the
press in the Berlusconi family.
I call her and chat a little.
Of course she knows I've got some photos.
I tell her I've got photos of Barbara
and she ask me to send them over.
Then she says: "This was not any
good pictures. I will talk to Barbara."
"How much do you want? 20 000? Okay.
Send an invoice, I keep the photos."
"Bye, Miti", I say.
Finished. It's simple.
Later, the president decides to publish
the photos himself, in one of his own magazines.
As the owner of every major gossip magazine-
-the president makes a profit on most photos.
An exercise of power that Corona deeply admires.
I think that Berlusconi, is a
model for all Italian businessmen.
If you want to go forward, if you
want to reach your goal-
-you have to use dirty tricks.
If you do it to reach
your goals, it's justified.
I admire him in that sense,
as a businessmen.
Coronas gangster-image continue to
get him in trouble with the law.
A number of trials against him have
taken it's toll, even on his popularity.
Desperate for exposure, he starts
visiting the sites of murder scenes-
-that get big TV-coverige.
He offers money to a man, whose wife
and son were brutally murdered-
-to get him to wear a Corona T-shirt
at the funeral, in front of all camera crews.
The plan fails and he wanders
to the next murder scene.
...trails of blood that
were found in the house.
Fabrizio CoronaIn showed up in Garlasco today.
The photographer who recently
served 80 days in prison-
-claimed that he would do a
story about the Cappa twins.
The father of the girls said he
did not want know of him.
He is mad. Why is he visiting crime scenes?
"I am a journalist." What the fuck is he
talking about? Interview the twins...
They are suspected for murder!
How the fuck did he think?
"Do whatever the fuck you want!" I told him.
He is crazy. He have become insane.
I will not call, I don't give a shit.
It's useless, only a waste of time.
He is on his own.
Now he says he
have to fuck every day.
"I want to be able to fuck every day,
but you forbid me to do things."
I said: "Do whatever the fuck you want."
Something is wrong in his head.
Okay. Bye.
In one of his final moves, Corona
wires himself with a hidden camera.
This is his lawyer, helping him
to mount the camera.
He is filming his famous model wife,
in this courtroom, at their own divorce.
First document.
You have read it a thousand times.
Make sure he signs it.
Wait, I'm separating.
He sells this photage exclusively
to the television of the president.
Which broadcasts it that evening,
in the late night news show.
Ladies and gentlemen, he is here!
Applause for Fabrizio Corona!
He is here with us!
This saturday night, we are proud
to present, ladies and gentlemen...
The man you have all been waiting for!
Applause for...
Fabrizio Corona!
Look at all the flashes and camera phones...
He is here and will sing for us.
Riccardo with ants in his pants!
Without TV, you can't do anything.
The television is a magic box...
Every family have one.
You put it on. People see you at
home and you become famous.
Anyone can become famous.
It's only a question about being visible.
In the world press freedom
index Italy is ranked 77th.
In the worlds list of gender
equality Italy is ranked 84th.
80 % of Italians use TV as
the main source of information.