What is the moral cost of the War on Terror? Is it legitimate to violate the law in the name of national security? These are the two main questions tackled by Flavia Triggiani and Marina Loi’s new documentary feature Ghost Detainee – The Extraordinary Rendition of Abu Omar and pitched at this year’s MIA market.
The context is the early 2000s, marked by the attack on the Twin Towers, and the subsequent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The picture, however, zooms in on another war, “fought in secret,” namely the illegal war of extraordinary rendition.
At the time and across the West, the CIA identified and kidnapped fundamentalists suspected of fomenting Islamic terrorism. These suspects were disappearing with the help of Western governments, only to later reappear in secret detention centres.
In Italy, however, the CIA stumbled. It’s 2003 and Abu Omar, the imam of a Milan mosque, is known for his inflammatory sermons. And, apparently, he doesn’t just preach, he also collects money for the fighters and enlists militants. The police and the CIA take note his activities and Abu Omar is subsequently renditioned to Egypt. For the first time, this practice is revealed to the public and the Abu Omar case takes on worldwide interest, with American and Italian secret agents ending up on trial.
Directing duo Flavia Triggiani and Marina Loi have worked extensively on programmes broadcast by RAI, Mediaset, La7 and Discovery. They penned and directed several socially committed, investigative documentaries such as Lady Gucci. The Story of Patrizia Reggiani (2020), The True Story of Uno Bianca (2021), Maurizio Minghella. The Predator (2021) and The Anorexic Hunter (2022).
In their directors’ statement, the duo explained: “The documentary, which offers the viewer four different points of view of the facts, will make use of directorial and graphic solutions to underline the change of narration. From a stylistic point of view, the direction will have the cut of a spy story, with evocative re-enactments inspired by the dark look of a spy thriller, but also with dirtier, real images, like real life, documentary-style shots.”
“The story will alternate a fast, “action-style” pace linked to the kidnapping of Abu Omar with a more relaxed and reflective one, which will concern historical and political insights. The interviews will be carried out with three cameras and the shots will vary to better create suspense, with shots also from behind or from three quarters and different details. Both in the re-enactments and in the interviews, a great use of slow motion will be made, to emphasise those dramatic events.”
Speaking to Business Doc Europe, the production team pointed out “how the case of Abu Omar, a citizen trialled for terrorism, and the film Ghost Detainee, may guide us through a moral reflection on the role of our democracies.” On the overall experience at the MIA, they added: “Our experience at the MIA has been really positive. We received great support during the preparatory work with the help of a tutor, and also during the market. The pitch has been received very well, and we’ve been in touch with several international sales agents and distributors strongly interested in Ghost Detainee. During the pitch, we highlighted the dual nature of this documentary: it is a spy film but also a reflection on what limits our governments can push to defend their own democratic principles.”
Ghost Detainee – The Extraordinary Rendition of Abu Omar is being produced by Ferdinando Dell’Olmo for Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment S.p.A., a company specialised in cinema, web and television production. The picture’s estimated budget is €979,000, of which €350,000 has been already secured. The project is still in development, but the team aims to enter production in spring 2023, with shoots planned between Italy, Egypt and the USA. The team is also looking for international distribution and co-production partners.
