Press release

Cinema. Un Ponte Per released 'The Lion of the Desert'

More than 40 years after its release, Un Ponte Per brings "IL LEONE DEL DESERTO" (1981, directed by Mustafa Akkad, starring Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas and Oliver Reed, 173', sub Italian language version) to Italiancinemas for the first time to recall the responsibilities of Italian colonialism in Libya.

Rome, 4 September 2024 - "The Lion of the Desert", a film about the resistance against the Italian occupation of Libya, will be shown for the first time on Italian cinema screens thanks to the initiative of the NGO Un Ponte Per (UPP).

44 years after its release, Un Ponte Per has obtained ministerial clearance for the public screening of this important historical film, based on the life of the Senussite leader Omar al-Mukhtar, who led the struggle against the Italian colonial occupation. The film was never shown in Italian cinemas because it was considered by the government to be 'detrimental to the honour of the army', which blocked its distribution at the time. The then Prime Minister, Giulio Andreotti, went so far as to accuse the film of 'vilifying the Armed Forces' and in 1987 the Digos prevented its screening in Trento during a pacifist meeting by seizing the film.

Despite its obvious interest for the Italian public, 'The Lion of the Desert' was never distributed in our country, nor was it ever broadcast by the public service. Only one TV broadcast on Sky in 2009 is remembered. A censorship, wrote the greatest historian of Italian colonialism, Angelo del Boca, that 'is part of a broader and more devious campaign of mystification and disinformation, which tends to preserve a romantic, mythical, radiant vision of our recent colonial history. That is to say, false'.

Until now, in the absence of a distributor and a visa for the screening, no cinema or TV could programme its viewing, something that will now be possible thanks to the UPP's initiative of requesting and obtaining a visa.

The 'Lion of the Desert' by Syrian-American director Mustapha Akkad, who died in 2005 in an al-Qaeda attack in Amman, was produced in the USA with leading actors such as Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger and Irene Papas, and reconstructs the resistance of Libyan tribes against the Italian colonial occupation, documenting their repression.

On 16 September 2024, on the occasion of Libyan Day in memory of the victims of colonisation, Un Ponte Per organises screenings of the film in 10 cities: Rome, Turin, Naples, Milan, Arezzo, Monza, Bologna, Modena, Florence and Catania.

With this initiative UPP intends to contribute to lift the veil dropped on Italian colonial history, and to support the proposal for the establishment of a national Day of Remembrance for the victims of colonialism.

Each screening will be preceded by a short historical introduction. The entire programme of events is realised with the support of Associazione Nazionale Partigiani d'Italia - ANPI Nazionale, Rete Yekatit 12-19 febbraio and WILPF Italia.

Programme and details of the events on 16/09 (except Naples, scheduled for 20/09) in each city:

• ROME, Nuovo Cinema Aquila, Via L'Aquila 66/74.
  16/09 at 19:20: Introduction with Prof. Alessandro Volterra, Director of the iconographic research and historical documentation laboratory; 20:00 Aperitif; 20:20 Film screening. Event organised in collaboration with Nuovo Cinema Aquila. Admission 7 euros (10 with aperitif).
  -
• TORINO, Centro Studi Sereno Regis, Sala Poli, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 13.
  16/09 at 6 p.m.: Talks by Gabriele Proglio and Nicola Salvini, followed by a screening of the film. The screening will be included as an off event in the "Give Peace a Screen" festival. Event organised in collaboration with Centro Studi Sereno Regis.
  -
• NAPLES, Ex Asilo Filangieri, Vico Giuseppe Maffei 4.
  20/09 at 6.30 p.m.: The screening is included in the week of initiatives on Italian colonialism and decolonial thought.
  -
• MILAN, Cinema Beltrade, Via Nino Oxilia 10.
  16/09 at 20:00 Introduction by Prof. Antonio Maria Morone of the University of Pavia and journalist and writer Nancy Porsia. The film screening will follow.
  -
• AREZZO, Circolo Culturale Aurora, Piazza Sant'Agostino.
  16/09 at 6.30 p.m. Introduction by Prof. Beatrice Falcucci and Khalifa Abo Khraisse, Libyan journalist, screenwriter and director; 7.45 p.m. apericena; 8.45 p.m. screening of the film. Event organised in collaboration with Circolo Culturale Aurora, ANPI Arezzo, Arci Arezzo, Oxfam Italia, Onda d'Urto, Associazione Amicizia Italopalestinese, Arezzo per Gaza.
  -
• MONZA, Capitol Anteo spazio Cinema, Via Alessandro Pennati 10.
  16/09, time to be defined. Event organised in collaboration with Arci Scuotivento.
  -
• BOLOGNA, Le Serre dei Giardini Margherita, Via Castiglione 134.
  16/09 8.15 p.m. meeting with Samanta Musarò, Viviana Gravano and a representative of Next Generation Italy - Bologna; 9 p.m. screening of the film. Event organised in collaboration with Associazione Attitudes.
  -
• MODENA, Cinema Truffaut, Via degli Adelardi 4.
  16/09 at 20:30 presentation by historian Gianluca Gabrielli, followed by a screening of the film. Event organised in collaboration with Associazione MOXA - Modena per gli altri, Centro Documentazione Memorie Coloniali and the Historical Institute of Modena.
  -
• FLORENCE, Cinema Astra piazza Beccaria 9
  16/09 at 20.30. Event organised by Black History Month Florence and Fondazione Culturale Stensen.
  -
• CATANIA, Arena Argentina, Via Vanasco 10.
  16/09 at 20:00, event organised in collaboration with Associazione Centineo and ANPI.