Two girls siding with opposing political parties and Rita Borsellino, candidate to the highest Sicilian political office: three heroic figures struggling for their ideals against the mafia.
original title: Il candidato
theme: Contemporary Stories - politics&society
genre:Docu-drama
length: 52’ or 70’
format: DV cam PAL
status: in pre-production
release: spring 2008
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Logline
A powerful metaphor of the eternal battle between good and evil, justice and corruption, set in the magic scenario sung by Latin poets and blessed by the Gods: Sicily.
Synopsis
The Candidate relates the public and personal events of three Sicilian women: Maria, Sara and Rita, during the longest and most highly controversial election campaign in the history of the island. Between December 2005 and May 2006, Sicily, world famous for having exported the mafia, is turning a new page. And surely the three women’s destinies will also undergo change. Rita, 65, is the sister of Paolo Borsellino, the magistrate murdered by the mafia in Palermo 19 July 1992. While Judge Borsellino lived in the limelight, Rita’s life was anonymous, entirely devoted to her work at a chemist’s and her three children. In autumn 2006, the Left nominates her candidate for the highest office in the island: the Presidency of the Sicilian Autonomous Region. From that moment on, Rita is engaged in a relentless battle against the centre-right candidate, Totò Cuffaro, a.k.a. “vasavasa” (“kiss-kiss”) because following the mafia tradition he kisses everyone. At Rita’s side is a stern 27-year old girl. Sara is Rita Borsellino’s press officer, but also an intimate friend who helps her find solace. She has been a militant of the Left Democratic Party for about ten years. Despite her youth, Sara is more of a realist than an idealist, but in the end she will be forced to choose between personal interest and ideals. Which will prevail?
On the other side of the barricade is standing Maria, 35 years old, beautiful and strong-willed. She is an intimate friend of Luigi Ragno, the centre-right coalition’s candidate for the mayor of the city of Messina. Maria is Luigi’s electoral committee’s coordinator, his right arm and the custodian of his
