Gomorra is an intense Italian film directed by Matteo Garrone and based on the book by Roberto Saviano. Following the release of the book, Saviano has received multiple death-threats and must now be accompanied by a personal body guard and live in a secret location. The film depicts the Casalesi clan of the Camorra in Napoli and Caserta. It has garnered wide acclaim, nominated for the Palme d'Or, winning the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival 2008, and seven David di Donatello Awards. Gomorra is a powerful portrayal of the brutality and unnecessary violence of the mafia that control much of this Southern region of Italy. The jagged architecture and barren landscape contribute to the feeling of unease and tension; there is nothing safe about this film, but we remain transfixed all the same.
'Power, money, and blood... These are the 'values' that residents of Italy's Campania region confront daily. They have little choice but to obey the mafia-enforced rules of the 'System', the Camorra. Gomorra recounts five true stories - the accountant, the tailor, the new blood, the apprentice, and the hotheads - that detail the intricate control the Camorra have over day-to-day life in Southern Italy.
Don Ciro pays the families of jailed clan-members. But when the clan begins to crumbles, he doesn't know where to turn. A talented tailor, Pasquale works under-the-table for the haute couture industry. When Chinese competitors woo him to moonlight for them, his employers won't be happy. Toto can't wait to grow up. So he begins his training in the 'school of life', until one day he must make a decision - one he can never, ever change. University graduate Roberto is offered steady employment and a good wage in 'toxic waste management'. But is the reality too much for his conscience? Marco and Ciro think life is like a Brian de Palma film, but their bravado is disturbing the orderly routine of business...'
