Erri De Luca: “The Hollywood strike? Italy lacks the critical mass present in America, able to respond as a unified body”

“It’s not just another strike. It is transformation of this magnificent machine that is cinema and video”: in this way Erri De Luca adresses the ongoing strike of actors and cinema screenwriters in Hollywood on Giffoni tv.
“In America there’s a strike of the cinematic industry because there exists a union of writers and actors – the Neapolitan writer states – Since it is a major industry, it has also given rise to unions”. He explains further: “The income of these workers – namely writers, screenwriters and actors – has been significantly reduced due to the proliferation of streaming platforms, and it is leading to a decline of the essential craftsmanship of cinema. For this reason, this significant unity has emerged. These workers, he explains, “require protection”. Erri De Luca also underlines: “What fascinates me, as a writer, is the enormous union of writers. Writers are generally individualists, but not in this context, because they are interconnected within this great film industry. Consequently, what is happening is a matter of great importance because it’s not just another strike. It is a transformation of this magnificent machine that is cinema and video”. However, the writer is sceptical about the possibility of something similar happening elsewhere: “I don’t believe that Italy, and even other parts of the world, have that critical mass of united and supportive workers, nor the possibility of unity among them, which exists on a much larger scale in America. We are smaller, unable to reach numbers capable of responding as a unified front. We will be following what this cinema workers’ struggle will produce as a result”.