Erik Gandini Retrospective

As the owner of the country’s television empire, he wields a powerful tool for shaping public opinion to his benefit. His force of will is reflected by the TV commercial in which throngs of Italians sing, “Thank God Silvio exists.” To an outsider, it may seem bizarre. Videocracy tries to show how it feels from the inside by profiling people immersed in Berlusconi’s world. They range from a wealthy talent agent close to the ex prime minister, to a paparazzo feeding off the media circus, to an amateur singer seeking the fame that only television can provide. Videocracy is richly illustrated with the trashy TV clips that earned Berlusconi his power. His talent for pandering outshines the crassest of American broadcasters by far.