Comedy is often a very effective device to convey a message, although war and it's military and civilian casualties is a potentially disastrous 'comedic' minefield.

Benigni however has shown he can do it with his Academy Award winning "Life is Beautiful" about the Holocaust.

Benigni's new theme may appear to be about the insufferable "Arrogance of Superiority" of "Western" Civilization, and it's insistence on "imposing" it's POLITICAL system on other Cultures, be they African, Western Hemisphere, Mid East, or Asian. [This along with the missionary zeal of "imposing" it's RELIGIONS.]

BENIGNI SHOOTING IRAQ 'COMEDY'

Italian actor and director Roberto Benigni is to make a film about the Iraq war.

BBC News
Thursday, 30 September, 2004

La Tigre e la Neve (The Tiger and the Snow) is set in Iraq in March 2003 - right at the beginning of the US-led campaign.

In spite of the subject matter, Oscar-winner Benigni intends the film - which is due for release in 2005 - to be a comedy.

Benigni plays the part of a poet who is in Iraq by chance and is caught up in the events.

"War naturally is the background of the film and my character is directly involved in it after this poet ends up in Iraq by pure chance," Benigni told Italian Rai radio.

Benigni hopes audiences around the world will be able to identify with his character.

"What is extraordinary is his vision of the world. This is one person representing all the people in the world," he said.

Criticism

In a further interview on Italian Rai TV, Benigni criticised the West's role in the Iraq violence.

"Westerners are running the show, all of those doing these things have studied in the West, it is not the Easterners. We know how many dreams the East gives, and how grateful we are to the East and love all its beautiful things," he said.

This is not the first time Benigni has attempted to deal with difficult topics in light-hearted fashion.

He won international recognition and attracted some controversy in 1998 with Life is Beautiful, a Holocaust comedy about a family of Italian Jews persecuted by Italian fascists and German Nazis.

The film won three Academy Awards - best actor for Benigni, best foreign film, best original score.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Benigni shooting Iraq 'comedy'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/3704104.stm