Seeking justice can be deadly. Just ask Antonio Di Matteo, lead prosecutor in a high-profile case involving police, politicians and notorious thugs. In the heart of Palermo, Sicily, he struggles to fulfill his professional duties while dealing with constant threats to his life. A Very Sicilian Justice, an Al Jazeera-produced documentary, follows him through this perilous phase of his life and outlines the ongoing tension between the rule of law and the cancerous cancer of crime in the region.
These dangers were predicted more than two decades ago when the two judges (Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino) tried to deal with the Mafia elements currently occupying Di Matteo. Both manage to expose this underworld and expose the nefarious collusion between the region’s most fearsome criminals and their high-ranking politicians. Both judges were assassinated after convicting more than 300 members of the Sicilian mafia.
Determined to continue her legacy of seeking justice at all costs, Di Matteo remains undeterred despite attempts by the overwhelming forces of the Force to thwart his efforts. His mailbox kept receiving anonymous death threats. Cosa Nostra boss Salvatore Riina, who is said to have ordered the retaliatory killings of the first two judges who sentenced him to life in prison, has issued a similar murder order against him. The political establishment is also keen to prevent the trial from proceeding, fearing it would undermine the status quo and irreparably damage its reputation.
But the ordinary citizens of Palermo have been Di Matteo’s main cheerleaders throughout the difficult process. For her, the case has more meaning than mere justice. Their long-hidden wounds must be opened and faced before they can begin to heal.
Narrated with cool authority by actress Helen Mirren, and featuring emotional interviews with many key figures, including Di Matteo and his key informants in the case, a A Very Sicilian Justice is a riveting and surprisingly moving portrait of a group of proud people who risked their lives to outdo her story.
