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Madrid and Trigell Both Inspired By True Events |
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| 10/12/2009 |
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There are many differences between a journalist and a writer. A journalist, like a judge, cannot write or say things if there is no proof. Juan Madrid, and Carlo Lucarelli who presented the book Pajaro en Mano, know these differences very well. For this reason, both use their books to expose situations, bring mechanisms to life, reaffirm ideas. The power of their writing lies precisely in their ability to give free rein to their sensations. Says Madrid: I don’t know if literature can change the world. But I know it changes me.”
Pajaro en Mano speaks of a past that should not be forgotten and is set in Marbella, Spain – “A place where political corruption is particularly evident” –and tackles the Argentinean dictatorship.
Madrid added: “This book was inspired by two other books. The first is Operation Condor by Stella Calloni, an Argentinean journalist of Italian descent. It tells of the accidental discovery, in a police station in Paraguay, of an immense archive that offers proof of relations between the South American police and the US secret services, torture, shootings and, above all, the counter-information published to veil the truth. The second book is called The Silence, which was also written by an Argentinean journalist, Horacio Verbitsky, and is about the Argentinean Church and its involvement in the dictatorship from 1976-83. The book is impressive in the ‘the silence’ it generated. No one talks about it, no one ever considers it.”
Also based on a real-life event, albeit indirectly, is Boy A by English writer Jonathan Trigell, who currently resides in Chamonix, on the French side of Mont Blanc.
In 1993, three-year-old James Bulgar was kidnapped, tortured and killed by two 10-year-old boys. The case caused a sensation in Great Britain that was fueled by the popular press and raised the issue of whether it is acceptable to punish two 10-year-olds. “A child with a happy life,” says Trigell, “does not kill. I don’t think children are born bad. Behind their violence always lie stories of abuse, bullying, drugs.”
Introduced by Simona Vinci, Trigell spoke of his story of innocence lost and re-found, of prison and the press, set in a fictitious city in Northern England. “I did varied research for my story. I spoke with psychologists; a friend of mine who committed all kinds of crimes as a kid, and he helped me a lot to understand prisons, the language spoken, the relationships with the guards. For the prison structure I used more traditional methods – books and the Internet. I was interested in contemplating the possibility of a second chance in life.”
In 2007, Boy A was made into a television film directed by John Crowley and starring Peter Mullan. “I had nothing to do with the film,” says Trigell. “They showed me the screenplay – naturally some things were lost but the atmosphere was the same. Plus Mullan is a fantastic actor, and was perfect for the role.” |
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