BLACKBIRD DAYS COME EARLY

The words "storm" and "hurricane" are often bandied about in Modica to describe any winter weather that is not sunny but we certainly had a storm at the weekend. Starting on Saturday evening, relentless rain fell in sheets throughout the night and all day Sunday and did so with quite frightening noise.  A girl from Cardiff - Britain's rainiest city - does not scare easily when confronted with the wet stuff, so I'm sure you will agree that it must have been quite something to terrify me and confine me to my flat!

The area where I live escaped the worst of it but there were floods in Modica Bassa [the Old Town], Modica Alta, nearby Scicli and the surrounding countryside with considerable damage to property, cars and goods in shops. In via Fontana in Modica Bassa - a street to which I am sentimentally attached because it is where my dog Simi and I lived when we first settled in Modica, twelve years ago - several cars were swept away.  In the early hours of Sunday the Mayor of Modica, who had been out on reconnaissance for most of the night, announced on facebook that all schools in the city would be closed on Monday as a precautionary measure.  Later. we were told not to drink the water until further notice.

Flood in Modica Bassa, 22.1.17

The rain eventually stopped on Monday but more is forecast for next weekend  during i giorni della merla  - the days of the blackbird [29th - 31st January], traditionally the coldest period in Italy. There are several legends that purport to explain the reason for this name but the one I prefer tells us that, long ago when January had only 28 days, a proud blackbird [who was actually white], fed up with the cold, asked January if he could cut a few days off his "reign".  January, it seems, got in a huff and asked his friend February to lend him three days so that he could use them to make the blackbird's life even more miserable. February agreed and when the blackbird, thinking that the weather would be warmer and drier now that January had gone, next went in search of food, mean old January blew up a snowstorm.  The bird found shelter in a chimneystack but when he emerged three days later, his beautiful plumage was black and thus it remained, with all but a few blackbirds, forever, the rare white blackbird being a sign of good fortune.  Let's hope that one appears on via Fontana soon!

Today the Mayor of Modica has met with Regional President Rosario Crocetta, who has thanked Modicans for their fortitude and determination to carry on with business as usual after the storm and it is likely that some regional funds will be directed to the city to help with the clear-up.

When Simi and I left via Fontana, I bought this souvenir of our time there:

Take it away, Dino:



There is a lovely Juliette Gréco song called Un  Merle Blanc but I cannot find a video of it.

A PROBLEM FOR THE AIRPORT

Oh, dear - just when it was all going so well for Fontanarossa [Catania] Airport, along comes the EU and cuts off its funding for the next ten years. The airport, the sixth in importance in Italy and among the top ten in the country for traffic, no longer appears in the Core Ten-T and Connecting Europe Facility upper band, having been downgraded because of poor transport links - especially by rail -  with the centre of Catania and the port. It is a ruling which will affect not only Fontanarossa, but the whole Catania area, including the port, the Circumetnea rail service and even the new airport at Comiso [Ragusa]. This means that the area will not feature in the new trans-European network corridors planned by the EU for the future and is a cruel blow for the Sicilian tourist industry.

Governor of Sicily Rosario Crocetta and Mayor of Catania Enzo Bianco have met today to decide upon a strategy and will soon be announcing an initiative, in conjunction with other partners, to support the airport. In some quarters this is being regarded as too little too late and there has been much criticism of local institutions for not putting more pressure on the EU.

The continued development and efficient functioning of Fontanarossa is essential, not only to the economy of this part of Sicily but to the island as a whole. Let us hope.

"TIME TO TEAR OFF THE MASK"

The state memorial service for the  migrants who died in the tragedies off Lampedusa of 3rd and 11th October was held in Agrigento this afternoon [Monday] in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Angelino Alfano, Integration Minister Cécile Kyenge, other Italian government representatives, civic dignitaries and, controversially, representatives of the government of Eritrea. As Eritrea was one of the countries that the migrants were fleeing,  many mourners thought it was inappropriate for these politicians to attend.

After the interfaith service Mr Alfano was heckled as he spoke to journalists and there were cries of "Murderers! Enough of the Bossi-Fini law!" The Bossi-Fini law, introduced in 2002, made illegal immigration, and aiding it, a crime. This may seem fair enough but no one could have predicted the numbers of people trying to escape oppressive régimes now and  it would clearly be outrageous to brand every migrant trying to reach Europe a "criminal". One of the unexpected effects of the law has been that fishing vessels sometimes do not go to help migrant boats in trouble because their crews fear being accused of aiding illegal immigration. The Italian government had suggested granting citizenship to the migrants who died and protesters today wanted to know what is going to happen to the survivors. Are they, for instance, all to be regarded as criminals? The irony is not lost on the survivors themselves, some of whom were pictured with notices saying "Sorry we didn't drown" last week.

Mr Alfano said that the deceased migrants had been accorded dignified burials and that the survivors would receive the assistance they needed. He also reminded journalists that the Italian police are still determined to find and arrest all the "merchants of death" - the people traffickers. 

Governor of Sicily Rosario Crocetta said that it would have been better to have held the service in the presence of the survivors - a reference to the fact that it was not held on Lampedusa - but that today was not the right time to argue about it. It would have been pretty hard not to be drawn into the discussion, however, as everybody had a criticism to make:  Mosé Zerai, a priest representing the Eritrean community in Italy, said that the service had been arranged late and hurriedly and many people, including the families of some of the victims, had been unable to make arrangements to attend. He was also unhappy about the presence of the Eritrean politicians. Michele Pagliaro, general secretary of the CGIL Union in Sicily, said the ceremony had been late and inadequate and vowed that his union would campaign for a change in immigration law as this would be the best way to honour the victims of the tragedies. Marco Zambuto, the Mayor of Agrigento, went further and called the event a "state farce".

Integration Minister Cécile Kyenge, however, said that today had been important because it was the first time that non- Italians had been honoured in a state funeral ceremony.

It was, though, Giusi Nicolini, the Mayor of Lampedusa, who painted the most vivid picture of the situation the migrants and the islanders face:  Unable to attend the ceremony because of a pre-scheduled meeting with President Napolitano, Giusi Nicolini spoke in the Senate. She said that migration policies reflect the type of society that a country has and impact upon the places where migrants land. Therefore, she said, Italy's migration policies are doubly unjust because they are unjust to the people of Lampedusa, too. Mayor Nicolini said that there was no need to follow the coffins to see the reality, which is that the current situation is the tip of the iceberg, with the Mediterranean becoming a cemetery. She said that immigration policy must change and that Italy must be clear about where the migrants will go after they land. "It is time", she summed up, "to tear off the mask and act." Giusi Nicolini is also asking for 3rd October every year to become a day of remembrance for migration victims.

So there you have it: a "state farce" with some probably unsuitable guests, a "catwalk for politicians" [Mr Zambuto's words again] or a compassionate if not always efficient country doing the best it can in difficult circumstances?  I tend to the latter opinion but I do agree with Mayor Nicolini that it is time to "tear off the mask."

SICILIANS WOW VENICE

Audiences and critics at the Venice Film Festival have been impressed not only by Sicilian directors and films featuring Sicily, but also by a certain female politician who has become Sicilian "by adoption".  She is Michela Stancheris, Regional Councillor for Tourism and  Governor of Sicily Rosario Crocetta's right-hand woman.

In Venice to introduce two of the Sicilian films, Miss Stancheris's handling of questions about her possible candidacy for the office of Mayor of her home town of Bergamo was masterful: The idea had first been announced by Mr Crocetta when he was in Bergamo for a meeting and it delighted some residents of that beautiful town whilst surprising others, including the incumbent, rather negatively. Miss Stancheris said she would first like to complete her work in Sicily but that she would consider the proposal seriously if invited to stand. Asked what would be the first thing she would do if elected, she replied that she would create an entertainment centre in Bergamo as, although the city is well-served by its airport, once young people arrive there, there is nothing to do in the evenings.  As for any romantic plans, Miss Stancheris said that she already has a fiancé whose name is Sicily.

But could it be that another career beckons the 31-year-old? An unnamed British film director who saw her at Venice is said to have cried,

"But you look like Diana!"

What do you think? Are they alike?

Michela Stancheris

Diana, Princess of Wales

I'll be watching developments in Bergamo with interest as it was the first Italian city I ever saw and, despite the fact that it is a Lega stronghold, I have a lasting affection for it.

Now, I'm sure you'd like to know about the films in the Festival which have been made by Sicilian directors or which are set in Sicily, so here they are:

Con il fiato sospeso - Costanzia Quatriglio

A 35-minute film but none the less powerful for that and based on a true story:  Anna, a pharmacy student at Catania University, begins some research in the chemistry laboratories there. She soon realises that her working environment is unhealthy and indeed, her fellow-students become ill. Anna's friend Stella, who has dropped out of university, tries to persuade her to stop working in the laboratories but Anna has a dream - to become a qualified pharmacologist. Throughout the film, we hear readings from the real diary of a student called Emanuele, who died of lung cancer in 2003. Five years later the laboratories were closed, after 36 people working or studying in them had become ill.

Via Castellana Bandiera - Emma Dante

Everyone is talking about this film! Two women drivers, one of them played by the director Emma Dante, cause a traffic jam in Palermo and a stand-off ensues. The film can be seen as a homage to the Western but Emma Dante says it is also about principles and the inability to compromise.

Le Donne della Vucciria - Hiam Abbass

Screened in the Giorni degli autori - Venice Days section for independent filmmakers, this is a very short film created as part of the Miu Miu Women's Tales series. Palestinian director Hiam Abass was in Palermo when she was invited to make a film for the project and she immediately knew that the vibrant Vucciria market had to be the background. At the beginning of the film we see Sicilian puppets dressed in Prada clothes and then we see some of the real women of Palermo in celebratory mood. Hiam Abass says she wanted to showcase the city's music, craftsmanship and a "certain kind of femininity".

Summer 82 When Zappa Came to Sicily - Salvo Cuccia

In the Fuori concorso - Not in Competition section: In 1982 Salvo Cuccia, who was doing his military service in the North of Italy, set off for Palermo to see a Frank Zappa concert. Sadly, he didn't arrive in time. Thirty years later, he retraces his steps and remembers his youth. We also meet members of Frank Zappa's family, who are visiting the land of the rock star's ancestors. The film contains previously unseen images from the 1982 concert.

Future Reloaded - 70 Directors for Venice

In addition, Franco Maresco has a short film in the Future Reloaded section, in which 70 directors who have been instrumental in the development of the Festival have been invited to make a short film to celebrate the 70th edition.

Con il fiato sospeso - Trailer

Via Castellana Bandiera - Trailer

Le Donne della Vucciria - Trailer

PRIMA RI PARRARI...

Prima ri parrari mastica 'i palori.

Before you speak, chew your words.

- Sicilian proverb

Oh dear, oh dear - it all began so well! Some of you may remember that in November, the then newly elected Governor of Sicily, Rosario Crocetta, announced that he wanted a "committee of intellectuals" to be involved in governing the region. Among those he appointed were the singer and composer Franco Battiato, as Regional Councillor for Culture with Special Responsibility for Tourism and Entertainment, and the scientist Antonino Zichichi as Councillor for Cultural Heritage.

These were popular appointments but, sadly, both men were removed from their posts yesterday, Mr Zichichi mostly for absenteism but also because of policy disagreements with Mr Crocetta and a possible conflict of interests regarding the physicist's son. However, Mr Zichichi may continue to serve the regional government as a consultant.

It is the dismissal of Franco Battiato that has generated the most headlines, as it came as a direct result of comments he made at the European Parliament in Brussels, where he used a very offensive word, particularly to women, to describe Italian parliamentarians who were, he said, "ready to do anything". The comments caused shock all over Italy and Mr Crocetta clearly felt that an apology was not enough. Mr Battiato said that he had not been referring to the current parliament but the remarks have been interpreted as an insult to the institution itself and, therefore, to democracy.  

Personally, I don't think Mr Crocetta had an alternative but perhaps the problem with a "committee of intellectuals" is that its members may be too intelligent for politics?

"I have often regretted my speech, never my silence."

Franco Battiato - La canzone dell'amore perduto

AN ENCOURAGING APPOINTMENT

Back in 1965, the then British Prime Minister Harold Wilson appointed one Barbara Castle as his Minister of Transport and caused a sensation, firstly for having appointed a woman but mainly because Mrs Castle could not drive. I remember the fuss and ever since I have been amazed at the alacrity with which governments everywhere put people with little or no knowledge of a given sector in charge of it.  Most people would not ask their lawyer to carry out dentistry so I've never understood why they are happy to allow decisions regarding their children's education to be made by men and women whose only experience of school has been as pupils. Yes, I would expect an education minister to have taught, and not in a Cameronesque private school or élite grove of academe!

However, on the rare occasions when experts like Mr Monti's not-so-merry band of "technocrats" are appointed as government ministers, they tend to disappoint. I am convinced, as I've said before on this blog, that this is because such "experts" are usually well-off individuals with little understanding of the day to day struggles of those they are called upon to govern.

Hats off, then, to Sicily's new Governor Rosario Crocetta who has appointed a young female student as Regional Councillor for Training:  29-year-old Nelli Scilabra is a law student at Palermo University, where she is a member of the Academic Senate.  She is also Palermo president of Rum, the Mediterranean University Network.  Ms Scilabra says that she knows what it is like to be young in these times and that she hopes to be able to help young people to stay in Sicily rather than leaving it, as so many feel they have to, in order to find work.

The appointment is one of the latest to the "committee of intellectuals" that Mr Crocetta feels the island deserves in its regional government.  ""At last", he says, "young people will be represented."

It might just work and I hope it does.  And what do Sicilians think of it?  Before I wrote this post I voted in an online poll on a Sicilian newspaper site.  Readers were asked to decide whether the appointments announced so far have pleased them not at all, a little, enough or a lot.  I voted "enough" and found that I am with the majority of voters. [You can't see the number of votes until after you have voted.]  Hope with a dose of Sicilian cynicism is the order of the day, then.

UN VENTO CALDO?

The newly elected Governor of Sicily, Rosario Crocetta, appointed singer and composer Franco Battiato as his Regional Councillor for Culture on Tuesday, saying that Sicilians should love their land more, spend more on culture,work together to build a new Sicily and be proud of their identity. 

Franco Battiato, who was born in Riposto [Catania Province] said he didn't want a salary and initially gave the impression that he regarded the position as a part-time one as he didn't want to give up his music.  This remark was seized upon by the media and it was soon being said that the singer was only going to be a kind of "cultural consultant". Today, however, Mr Crocetta made a further announcement in which he confirmed that Mr Battiato will have special responsibility for tourism and entertainment in the region and the singer  says that he intends to organise events which will really put Sicily on the world map.

Mr Crocetta has made it clear that he wants a "committee of intellectuals" to be at the heart of regional government in Sicily as "a place which doesn't value its intellectuals is doomed".

I totally agree and hope that Mr Battiato, who doesn't want to be called Assessore but just plain "Franco", will soon have us all dancing:

Franco Battiato - Voglio vederti danzare 

Alice - Il vento caldo dell'estate  [The Warm Wind of Summer ]  [Alice , Battiato, Messina, Pio.]