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Interview with Andrea Bettinetti (Director) Could you tell us about Queens of Terror in a few words? Queens of Terror tells the story of Angela and Luciana Giussani, two strong-willed middle class women who back in 1962 created Diabolik, a brand new comic book with a peculiarity: for the first time in the history of comics, the hero was a ruthless thief who didn't hesitate to kill in order to achieve his illegal goals. For the Italian booming society of the time it was a real shock. Diabolik became in a very short time a smashing commercial success while undergoing several censorship charges. It was the first Italian comic for grownups. Are you a fan of Angela and Luciana Giussani's comics? I used to be a fan when I was a teenager. I loved Diabolik's costume, his stylish black Jaguar E-type, and above all Eva his beautiful girlfriend. I much more enjoyed reading his adventures rather than the cowboys comic books of the time or even Marvel's heroes. I used to feel there were something quite subversive and rebellious in reading Diabolik. Of course to think about it now it makes me smile. There is a big trend of movie adaptations from comics right now. Do you think an adaptation of Diabolik is going to hit the big screen soon? It wouldn't surprise me if a movie about Diabolik would hit the screen again. The first time was in 1968 directed by Mario Bava, a cult director recently rediscovered. I believe as a hero Diabolik still holds a strong appeal, even today. But having said that, making movies out of comic books is something the Americans do better than the Europeans. How do you think the comic world now compares to that of the 1960s? I'm not a strong comic book reader, but I don't think there are many differences. They might be undergoing a moment of crisis nowadays, but I'm pretty sure comics will always attract new readers. Compared to other Medias I believe they have a very important rebellious appeal. How do you think the Guissani sisters broke ground for women of today? Just take a look at Angela Giussani's life. By the end of the fifties she was already a model, a plane pilot, a horse rider, an independent entrepreneur who established her own publishing company in a male world where there wasn't yet much space for female emancipation, and on top of that wasn't afraid to challenge the morality of Italian society making a villain the hero of her company... Angela was a woman who when divorced her husband paid for his alimony. I don't think I need to add anything else. Do you have any upcoming projects? I just ended a docu-fiction on a completely unknown story of a WWII female spy: Laura D'Oriano. The only woman ever executed in the history of Italy. A very fascinating and intriguing story. I'm currently about to start a new project on Afghanistan veterans. |
