In early 2017, Ismaele La Vardera, a 22-year-old Sicilian journalist, surprised the Italian political scene when he announced his candidacy for mayor in the southern city of Palermo. Even more surprising was his decision to stand for the League, whose leader, Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has repeatedly denigrated southern Italians.
On election night on 12 June La Vardera secured just 2.7% of the vote. But there was a twist in the tale: he had taken a hidden camera with him on the campaign trail, and recorded his experience.
The footage has been made into a documentary called Italian Politics for Dummies. Scheduled for release at the end of November, the film shines a light on the workings of Italy’s populist parties, as well as alleged mafia interference.
“While I was on the campaign trail, I was amazed by certain things that were happening to me,” La Vardera said in an interview. “That’s when I decided it might be worth it to record everything.”
La Vardera styled himself as a David battling the Goliaths of the political establishment. He was immediately courted by Salvini’s party, who were interested in marketing him as an anti-establishment outsider. Salvini formalised the party’s endorsement during a two-hour conversation with La Vardera that was secretly filmed. He told the young candidate the party would present him as “something totally new in the swamp of old politics”.
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