{"id":1251,"date":"2017-06-15T13:30:47","date_gmt":"2017-06-15T11:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amblondra.esteri.it\/news\/dall_ambasciata\/2017\/06\/the-duce-s-boxer\/"},"modified":"2017-06-15T13:30:47","modified_gmt":"2017-06-15T11:30:47","slug":"the-duce-s-boxer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amblondra.esteri.it\/it\/news\/dall_ambasciata\/2017\/06\/the-duce-s-boxer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Duce\u2019s Boxer"},"content":{"rendered":"

In front of a full audience, the Italian Cultural Institute<\/a><\/strong> in London hosted yesterday the screening of the documentary \u201cThe Duce\u2019s Boxer\u201d which looks at the life of Leone Jacovacci, a black Italian boxer who challenged Benito Mussolini\u2019s ideology by winning a European boxing title.<\/p>\n

Jacovacci, an African Italian born in the Congo won the 1928 European middleweight title by beating Mario Bosisio, a white Italian boxer supported by the country\u2019s Fascist leaders, in front of 40,000 fans in Rome\u2019s National Stadium.<\/p>\n

Mussolini, outraged, then ordered Jacovacci and his achievement erased from Italy\u2019s history books. But 89 years later, Jacovacci\u2019s story has been resurrected. “Based on the book “Black Roman” by Italian sociologist Mauro Valeri, a former head of the country\u2019s National Xenophobia Observatory, “The Duce\u2019s Boxer” is directed by first-timer Tony Saccucci. Saccucci used archive footage from Italian state film institution Istituto Luce and photos provided by Jacovacci\u2019s family.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Duce\u2019s Boxer\u201d has gained international media attention. Among others, CNN covered it with a feature report by Christiane Amanpour, while Tom Kington, Rome correspondent for The Times, wrote an article providing insight into the documentary and this long-forgotten story.<\/p>\n

The screening of the documentary was introduced and followed by a Q&A session with the director Tony Saccucci.<\/p>\n