Original subtitles

I'm desperate. I can't… I can't believe this!

[cries] I thought it would've had a positive outcome,

because nobody else can do what Muccioli does! It's impossible!

Muccioli does everything for us! You must help us! Stop this now!

Muccioli should not have been sentenced!

[woman continues indistinctly]

[tense music playing]

[sirens wailing]

The day police came to San Patrignano…

I do remember it.

It was early morning.

They woke us up one by one.

They told us we were free and could go where we wanted,

and they arrested Vincenzo and all the others in charge of the place.

[sirens wailing]

[Nigro] Everything changed in 1980,

when the police raided San Patrignano

and found four people chained up

in the kennel, in the dovecote,

and in conditions that were…

inhumane,

in the freezing cold.

[newsman] The investigation began when Maria Rosa Casarini,

a heroin addict for three years, went to Forlì police station

claiming to have escaped from San Patrignano,

where she had spent 16 days locked up in a cell.

The claim was confirmed by a police inspection

that revealed five more people chained up and kept in cellars.

[emotional music playing]

My mother came and said,

"Your father has been arrested.

He's been accused of false imprisonment."

I thought what was happening to him was unfair.

[sirens wailing]

Some mistakes or exaggerations

could have been "forgiven" by the State,

but they couldn't have been hidden or denied.

Because hiding and denying them meant they could happen again.

[theme music playing]

[birds chirping]

[somber music playing]

[Boschini] After Vincenzo's arrest, the community was left leaderless.

My dad came to see me.

He apologized,

and said, "You need to come home now. You can't stay here a minute longer."

And I told him, "No, I'm not leaving this place

until the others are released from jail.

Because if I leave now,

I'll be backing those who arrested Vincenzo Muccioli."

[Delogu] We were suddenly by ourselves in the commune,

with no one in charge telling us what to do.

We were shocked by it all,

but we had meetings and collected our thoughts.

♪ The emptiness and then ♪

And we understood,

maybe unconsciously, or conscious of the circumstances,

that we should not leave,

because if we did,

it would have been the end of San Patrignano and ourselves.

♪ They have you registered ♪

[rooster crows]

So we came together to find a solution.

One of us took charge.

He was a true rebel.

His name was Francesco Di Trani, but he was known as Tintoretto,

because he was always painting, so we called him Tintoretto.

He picked up a brush

and started varnishing the canteen roof.

Then, one by one, the others picked up their brushes too.

And we felt good. We were like, "Come on.

Let's give something back to those who welcomed us here.

Let's try and do this for as long as we can."

♪ You'll know everything ♪

♪ You'll know why ♪

We managed to hold on to it and ended up running the place ourselves.

["Quando sarai grande" by Edoardo Bennato playing]

♪ When you're all grown up ♪

♪ You'll know why ♪

[Andrea Muccioli] Many more people supported the community,

which, I think, gave a significant contribution to it.

[Boschini] When Vincenzo was arrested, Gian Marco Moratti and Letizia

came down from Milan and stayed at the commune,

um, for the duration that Vincenzo and the others were in jail.

Vincenzo and his staff weren't there.

Everyone was missing their "father," Vincenzo.

They were feeling discouraged by the whole situation.

While living at San Patrignano,

on a daily basis, we had to endure the bad press

about concentration camps and chains.

WILL THE ADDICTS' "HOME" SHUT DOWN?

SAN PATRIGNANO, SAINTS OR DEVILS?

At the time of the arrest, I wrote an article in Unità

with a title which was not flattering for Muccioli,

"The addicts' guru of San Patrignano even showed people his stigmata."

The day of the arrest, I went to San Patrignano,

and there was Gian Marco Moratti insulting me

and telling me all sort of things, "I'll talk to the newspaper's editor!"

I said, "That's not a good way to start a conversation."

So, as I leave San Patrignano, he starts chasing after me and says,

"I'm sorry. I got carried away.

Let's drop the formalities. You see, Vincenzo really helps these guys.

He's an extraordinary person. He does not deserve this treatment."

[newsman] In the Moratti family, Gian Marco is the oilman.

He's chairman of the Saras Group, a corporation of petroleum refineries

founded by his father, Angelo, in 1962,

which refines 15% of Italian oil.

CEO of the gas and oil consortium, member of the governing boards of Bocconi,

Corriere della Sera newspaper, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro,

and, of course, Inter Milan.

[crowd cheering and whistling]

Among the first people to seek help from the community

to solve a family issue,

was the Moratti family.

They turned to my father,

having previously met him in Milan during a meeting,

and asked him for help.

That's how they got to know about my father's world.

And they fell in love with his project and him as a person.

Vincenzo Muccioli,

with all his vitality and generosity,

treats these guys as if they were his own children.

And they are able to regain trust in their life.

[emotional electronic music plays]

[Andreucci] My meeting in prison with Vincenzo Muccioli

led to my procedural conduct.

I had the impression he was a complex man,

driven by good intentions and a real desire of…

uh, solidarity,

and wanting to help people with addiction problems.

I came to the conclusion that he shouldn't have been repressed,

but rather, helped to evolve,

because I saw the idea behind the community

as a very positive one.

[newsman] The investigative judge Andreucci surprised everyone

when he released Vincenzo Muccioli.

[Andreucci] Muccioli and those arrested with him

were freed after about a month in jail.

They declared they would cease the use of those methods,

which was a serious and thoughtful commitment

for the community to apply different strategies.

He said, "As long as this never happens again."

It was a court order.

No chains, no use of violence ever again,

and the commune should be open to official inspections.

[Andrea Muccioli] Those were 30 very difficult days.

And when it all was about to fail,

my father and the others came back,

and I clearly remember the banner, "Welcome home."

It was a big sigh of relief for all

because the pressure was finally off.

♪ Swinging slowly in the dark ♪

♪ A sleepy fishing light ♪

♪ You listen to the serenade of the sea ♪

♪ And you can't speak ♪

[Vincenzo Muccioli] I was arrested for false imprisonment.

All of these are the outcome of the crimes we committed

against the Italian law.

We ran after these guys.

We chased them.

We locked them up and locked ourselves up with them too

for a day or two, or however long was necessary

to stop them from running away again.

But I don't regret it, because now, many of them

are really out of their addiction.

During those 40 days in jail,

not one of the guys left San Patrignano.

[Delogu] When Vincenzo came out,

he didn't find us in chaos.

He found us united,

because we wanted to wait for him

and show him we were men of honor.

From then on, he started trusting us much more,

and that resulted in a strong group of leaders,

because at that moment, we saved the commune.

If we'd left, it would've been the end.

-[crickets chirping] -[owl hooting]

[reporter] To ensure a good degree of security,

there is a patrol going around the building.

What are the dangers?

[Vincenzo Muccioli] There are many dangers.

These guys' issues feel much worse at night.

They have sleepless nights going cold-turkey,

which is a very critical time

during which we watch them closely.

We actually had a case on Sunday.

A boy escaped.

It isn't a big deal, because we just go and pick them up, but still…

as outlaws, we save a life.

We pick him up, bring him back, make him think things over.

[Delogu] From the time I used to look after the animals,

I had a privileged relationship with Vincenzo.

He had a small flat overlooking the square of San Patrignano.

In the morning, he'd open the window and look at each of us.

When I was there, he'd say, "Hi Walter.

Shortly, we'll be working together. You'll be my driver soon."

He had already given me clues.

[birds chirping]

My responsibility within the group was steadily growing,

because Vincenzo, together with the management team,

made us very strong.

Each of us could be in charge of someone else.

In this way, starting with 80, 90, 100 people,

it was very easy

to steadily increase the number of guests.

[Vincenzo Muccioli] There are some guys who arrive here desperate to have a place.

They camp out in the cold outside the commune.

[Andreucci] As investigative judge, I issued a court order

to halt further admissions to the commune,

because an increased number of guests could have raised…

the chances of using coercive measures.

This court order was breached by the commune,

and I must say that it was also flouted by,

or maybe better, ignored by some of my colleagues from other courts

who were sending young people

to San Patrignano with a house arrest order.

[Delogu] They were coming from all over Italy, because back then,

there was no other solution to drug addiction.

Before being accepted, you had to show a willingness to change.

Then once in, there were different groups that would help you evolve and improve.

You'd learn a job, a routine, and discipline.

[cows lowing]

In a commune like this

that aims at reintegrating young people into society,

I believe a lot of activities and ways of engaging are needed.

[upbeat music playing]

If we want them off drugs,

we need to be able to offer them a way to fulfill their potential

by following the natural interests and abilities of each one of them.

Work is essential to a person.

And a job should not make you feel frustrated,

but rather accomplished and satisfied.

[Delogu] For the first time, a desperate young man coming from prison, jail,

had a plan, a project for his future.

-[whirring] -[man] I'm learning this job,

and I enjoy what I'm doing. I am…

a free man.

One, two…

[Vincenzo Muccioli] Out of all the guys here,

50 are already attending university.

[man] Initially, I started working.

Then, a year and a half ago, I went back to studying

and passed my exams,

some challenging ones, and I got good grades too.

I have two years left until graduation.

[Boschini] Why a doctor?

Because I wasn't very good at social relationships.

I was a rather shy person.

Being a doctor gave me a way

of engaging with other people.

I had this idea

from the very beginning, and I followed it through to the end.

Well, not the end, as I intend to practice for much longer.

And I am very proud of it.

[Andreucci] "The commune agrees to allow access to inspections and visits

carried out by the police and health authorities,

and to give monthly updates

on the conditions, progress, and treatments of its guests."

The tension between the State and San Patrignano started

from the very beginning,

when the judges from Rimini

suggested we try and build a relationship

between the public welfare system and the rehab center.

Vincenzo Muccioli was very polite to us.

But he also sent us a clear message

that he was not interested in that.

[Vincenzo Muccioli] The overload of psychotropic drugs

prescribed by the rehab clinics to the addicts

to keep them off drugs

and to hold them, so they won't escape,

they cause the real damage, not us here.

In my community, we're building new spaces with funds

that did not come from the State,

but from me and my supporters who share my views on life.

[Andrea Muccioli] The Morattis asked my father

if they could help the commune financially.

And it was thanks to the big financial aid made available

that we were able to develop the commune in a substantial way.

The Morattis were there every weekend.

They came by private jet or by car.

[Mini] The Morattis arrived with their bodyguard,

but they would be there with us with their boots in the mud,

crying with us and laughing with us.

I remember the first New Year's Eve and Christmas parties with them there.

-Hi, Gian Marco. How are you? -I'm fine.

[host] Mr. Moratti, who is Vincenzo Muccioli for you?

[Moratti] Vincenzo Muccioli is my best friend.

The way Muccioli has set this commune up,

the way he deals with young people, and his sense of humanity

all show his genius.

His methods, however, have often been heavily criticized.

What would you say to the people who criticize them?

When I raise my children,

I don't give in to all their requests and give them gifts daily.

Sometimes you need to be strict

and have a firm hand.

Look,

if I had a son

that I had to keep

from shooting up and doing things like that,

I would rather keep him locked up a day or two,

than keep him in bed

stoned with Valium, Diazepam, or Moditen Depo, Serenace…

[tense music playing]

[birds squawking]

[Cantelli] San Patrignano was a commune

where some abusive and hard approaches kept being used,

just in a more disguised manner,

and where you couldn't…

leave if the people in charge did not agree with you leaving.

The first six months there, I ran away, I think…

three or four times.

Back then,

I was a heavy abuser of both heroin

and cocaine.

[siren wailing]

I was just a ghost of myself,

because when you use coke like that,

you don't sleep or eat anymore.

My mom was desperate. She spoke with Vincenzo and said,

"Make sure Fabio comes home. Take him there without saying anything."

I was at home and I heard the doorbell ring.

I saw the door opening and these two big men

said, "Come with us."

I was not in a position to react. I was very high on heroin,

and so I went in the car with them.

We got to San Patrignano in the middle of the night.

Everyone was asleep, and I…

said to my two kidnappers,

because that's what they had done, kidnapped me,

"Where do I sleep?"

They didn't reply, and we walked along

a small path leading to the commune's park.

I saw a concrete building hidden a bit by the green around.

-And they were like, "You sleep there." -[door opens, slams shut]

I walked into this little cellar,

high on heroin, so I fell asleep straight away.

I understood what had happened the next morning, when I woke up.

[inhales sharply]

In the morning, the withdrawal kicked in.

It was twofold, from both heroin and coke.

I was going insane.

On the fourth and fifth day, I tried to kill myself.

I tore off a strip of a sheet,

shaped it like a rope with my hands,

and I…

wrapped it around my head and started throwing myself at the door.

[banging]

But on the second or third bang,

I realized that there was a part of me

that wanted to resist.

I think I was refusing to physically suffer in order to die.

[keys jangling]

There was a grate in this little room…

-[door unlocking] -…next to an iron door,

and the doctor of the commune, Antonio Boschini, walked in.

Back then, he was finishing off his specialization, I think.

He came to make sure I was still alive.

I guess Vincenzo had noticed

that I was in a dreadful state.

I felt,

despite the depth of my anguish,

a strange calm arise.

A sense of peace.

And if I talk about that occasion as a moment…

that was central, crucial in my life.

It's because what happened is something that I believe…

to be essential

to fight and free oneself from such strong addictions,

deeply rooted, like those of drugs.

For the first time, I saw myself from the outside.

I saw a pile of skin and bones, as I just weighed about 50 kilos.

[inhales deeply]

And I felt moved.

And…

Sorry.

[shaky inhale]

And I decided to look after myself.

If I am alive, it's because that happened.

[smacks lips]

If I had been in another place,

um, like a small room

on the top floor with a window,

I would have, no doubt, jumped out of the window.

[reflective string music plays]

I think that, out of the 300 guys you can see here,

at least 250 have tried to escape.

And for those 250 that are now safe,

I have committed a crime,

the crime of bringing them back, saying, "You must not die. Save yourself!"

I brought him back, gave him a warm place, and saved his life.

[Nigro] In the following years, new allegations ensued from guys

who claimed to have been beaten, locked up, etc.

Andreucci was then forced by the events to go to trial

and say, "Look, you can't keep on ignoring the law forever.

The State can't just sit back and give you a license to beat people up

whenever you want to."

Control and the use of coercive measures

were not accidental,

but were structural.

I mean, they were part of the mentality and culture of the commune.

The use of chains and forced confinement are means…

that violate human dignity.

And in light of those events, the judiciary had to act.

Leaving everyone by surprise, they go to trial,

the notorious Chains Trial.

[newswoman] The court trial that took place this morning in Rimini

is a trial about the inability of society

to fight drug addiction.

Vincenzo Muccioli and 13 of his helpers from San Patrignano

appeared in front of the judges.

Among the serious accusations, there is false imprisonment,

-and, for Muccioli, fraud too. -[camera shutters clicking]

[tense music playing]

[Nigro] The so-called "maxi trial" had more than 200 witnesses,

hundreds of journalists and photographers,

dozens of cameramen.

The Italian drug policies of the '80s were under the spotlight.

[man] "Muccioli Vincenzo, accused of the crimes

under articles 112 no. 1 and 605 no. 81 of the Penal Code,

-for having physically and morally… -[sighs]

…restrained personal freedom with the use of chains and locks

and detained people in unhealthy conditions,

holding them using coercion when they tried to escape,

causing psychological distress to all,

by chaining them up and confining them in kennels and dovecotes

and degrading them and humiliating them."

[Nigro] Roberto Sapio had no choice

but to present the details of the accusations.

Can one man claim the right to beat

and chain up another man?

Mr. Farneti threatened to commit suicide because he didn't want to be chained.

He was chained to the wall.

Was he sick? Was he of unsound mind because of his drug addiction?

Nobody…

approved and authorized imprisonment and chaining.

Is drug addiction a disease?

And even if it were,

which it isn't,

one must act according to the code of the law.

[Nigro] The defense lawyers argued

that if Vincenzo Muccioli made a mistake

in the way he treated those guys, causing them harm,

he did so in the name of a principle,

which was to prevent them from causing themselves

even more harm.

And why this? Because I tried to save their life?

And depriving them of what?

Of heroin? Marginalization? Death?

So if a man wants to jump off a bridge,

how can I save him?

just pat him on the back and say,

"Excuse me, you'd better not jump off because you could harm yourself."

I don't think so. I'll have to grab him, hold him,

and say, "What are you doing?"

I need to keep holding him until I have managed

to calm the psychological state of despair

that led him to that action.

And then I could let go of him and say "Come on, be strong."

So what do you want to do?

Imprison me because I…

have kept someone

from killing himself?

Sure, I could not hold him with only two arms.

I've had to use chains to help me with that.

It's true, they beat them, they chained them.

But these guys, if they had escaped, would've died.

And what happened afterward

to those four guys that were found chained

and that eventually escaped?

I repeat, once out, one killed himself, and the others are now zombies.

[Andrea Muccioli] Another effect of that event

was that it gave my father and San Patrignano huge popularity.

[TV show theme music playing]

[journalist] Vincenzo Muccioli, 50, from Romagna, married with two kids,

founder of the San Patrignano commune, a kind of Romagna kibbutz.

Benevolent and gruff, halfway between Guareschi and Fellini,

accused of false imprisonment,

use of violence, abuse of power in rehab.

But who gives you this power?

Who do you think gives you the right to act this way?

The guys themselves ask me to.

[TV journalist 2] Mr. Muccioli, you are a controversial figure.

Vincenzo Muccioli is the protagonist of an extraordinary story.

[Delogu] Everyone on TV wanted him. He had an incredible stage presence.

He could talk about anything

with the journalists, with the people, and at any time.

-[host] Our guest is Vincenzo Muccioli. -[applause]

[newsman] Undoubtedly, the most discussed man.

That's Muccioli, you either love him or hate him.

Undeniably, Vincenzo Muccioli has saved more than one life.

But I do know that you have fought, and still do, the battle against drugs.

To fight this battle, I have given my life to this cause,

because I no longer have a private life.

Here, we're confusing the idea of a father with that of a therapist.

My therapy is to be the father of a family,

responsibly and consciously offering myself to them,

like I have done, and I do, to my own children.

[Delogu] He was smart.

He knew how to use his voice.

He had a way of looking at the camera

and at people who were with him.

He was bewitching.

[Vincenzo Muccioli] San Patrignano is a place I have built with outcasts,

which means that the idea of marginalization does not make sense.

Everyone in Italy was talking about it. Are you with or against Muccioli?

There was no gray area. It was either black or white.

[clears throat] Let's start again.

[electronic music plays]

Not a good move.

[inhales deeply]

Off I go.

The issue with drugs is contrast between reality of the street

and that of the law.

You moved it twice. I just saw for a second… Okay, okay.

[clears throat] Let's go again.

The impact of Red Ronnie was important, like that of the various broadcasters

and of all the articles in the national papers that…

supported Muccioli.

This behind me is the Court, the building which filters the world through the laws.

Here, we have the reality of the streets.

As seen in the trial against Muccioli and San Patrignano,

the reality of the streets and the code of law clash.

A story that has filled all the national papers and tabloids.

Too much attention on the trial against Muccioli

and too little on other trials.

I think of myself as an animal.

I don't judge with my head, but with my instinct and my heart.

The character of Red Ronnie stems from solitude.

I started with a TV show, Bandiera Gialla, in 1983,

and then Be Bop a Lula

and a few more until Roxy Bar,

and finally, total independence with Barone Rosso these days.

-[host] We have Red Ronnie here with us. -Ah, Red!

[applause]

As soon as I met Vincenzo Muccioli, I sniffed him, instinctively.

And I said, "Okay, I'll be at your service."

[indistinct chattering]

-Hi! -[Red Ronnie] Hi, Vincenzo.

How are you doing?

Good. I'm about to perform some miracles.

[Red Ronnie laughs]

[Red Ronnie] I decided I would become a soldier

to help and defend Vincenzo Muccioli and San Patrignano.

The trial of San Patrignano started off an era of awareness,

when people became aware

of the reality of desperate parents.

Before that, drug addiction was swept under the carpet.

"Yes, a drug addict. Yes, he's dead. Overdose. It's his damn problem."

It's not like that.

He made the institutions,

which didn't know what to do,

or possibly did the wrong things,

face the reality.

[woman] After nine and a half years of drugs,

my daughter was rescued by Vincenzo, who saved her from the criminal asylum

after they had told me that she had no hope.

The head of the asylum told me to let her die.

Do they know what it means to deal with an addict in withdrawal?

He trashes everything. I can show you if you come to my house.

My Sony TV smashed, thrown out of the window,

wardrobes and mirrors smashed too.

Chaining? I wish he would have nailed him!

I wish. And my son would be safe now.

He escaped, and where is he? Regina Coeli prison!

And what's best for him?

And the invisible chains of heroin?

Those are far worse chains.

Because it is much more difficult to break them.

Vincenzo succeeded…

with the chains. Bless the chains.

God bless the chains of San Patrignano.

I would even be happy with an old form of torture.

[crying] I am a desperate mother. I can't take it any longer.

-[sniffling] -How long has it been for your daughter?

[crying] It's been two years.

[sniffles]

I can't take it any longer.

Vincenzo is my only hope.

-Thank you. -Madam! Don't thank me.

[Vincenzo] Jail did not stop me.

If I had let the constant threats that I receive stop me, I would have quit.

But if I had, I wouldn't be able, uh…

to respect myself, because quitting means escaping

while knowing that there are lives that need saving.

By staying, I've saved thousands.

[Nigro] Hundreds of parents

were calling for harsh measures and supporting San Patrignano

and opposing the State, which did nothing.

Muccioli was the one

solving, in his own way, the big problem of drugs,

and therefore, he needed to be sanctified.

We judges, especially me

and the public prosecutor, were seen as…

real persecutors of Muccioli and his helpers in the commune.

[coughs]

Many newspapers, for a long time,

claimed that the chains were an invention,

so the president of the court

asked for the chains to be brought in.

[chains clanking]

[tense music playing]

[man] Silence!

[Vincenzo Muccioli] We took what we found there.

They're not chains to do that. There isn't a plan to use the chains.

They were there.

The chains shown were a means of torture.

My insisting on…

the dark side, doubts, and questions about San Patrignano

was in response, mainly, to those pictures.

I must be the only one in the world to have these pictures,

because they were never published, not even then, at the time of the trial.

These are the pictures taken by the police

that raided San Patrignano.

All these photos were brought to the trial.

[uneasy music playing]

[chains jangling]

[door closes]

[chains jangling and clanking]

[chains jangling]

[Andreucci] Such measures are not acceptable.

Not only do they deprive personal freedom,

but they imply an offensive act,

where a man is considered to be like a slave, a prisoner, an animal.

[attorney] It's even too rhetorical, President, to say that, unfortunately,

the chains of drugs can't be photographed.

[Righi] Very good.

[Nigro] Public opinion was in favor of San Patrignano,

understandably, but…

I think the newspapers didn't fully do

their job,

because, funnily enough, nobody wanted to really show them.

I mean, this was a fact.

You could have justified it

by saying it was a mistake done in good faith,

but why not…

show it? Or not want people to see it?

I never understood that.

-[chains jangling] -Those guys with chains on their wrists,

with chains on their ankles…

[chains jangling and clanking]

…left among the feces in the cold dovecote and kennel…

[chains jangling]

Those pictures here represent the part of the truth that was never told.

And it was typical of that time. Italy didn't want to see.

Italy didn't want to see the junkies.

They wanted to keep them away from their families,

off the streets, away from everyone.

Locked up somewhere.

[Delogu] I have never been locked up, so I can't say what it felt like in there.

But I believe that it was a valid method,

because, at that moment, all you want to do is escape,

to go out and grab an old lady's purse, to shoot at people, to harm them.

So the best thing is you stay put. Until I know you're well, I won't let go.

I was never locked up.

It wasn't necessary because I would listen.

I didn't want to get involved with that. I didn't like it.

I didn't get that method, but they did, because you'd see the results later.

[chains jangling]

It was a moment to think and reflect.

It was a moment when you were just with yourself.

[chains jangling]

They would stay one week, three, four, five days.

It's like a father punishing his child,

and after, he goes and hugs him and explains why he did it.

So they hugged, and the person had changed, completely.

And they would start a new path

of transformation, renewal, and feeling more motivated.

It was called "the San Patrignano method,"

but it wasn't correct.

For example, I ran away, and they just came and picked me up,

but I was never locked up or anything like that.

So it was a contingent situation

associated with a very particular moment of emergency.

Violence surely wasn't

the therapeutic solution used by San Patrignano.

I can assert to that.

San Patrignano had a huge defensive group of supporters.

They had an impressive line-up.

And they also had endorsers.

-Nicola Salerno. -[applause]

[Nigro] There were also famous people around this community.

[host] You have a famous father. How's your relationship with him now?

[Nicola Salerno] Our relationship has always been quite difficult,

because I could never see him like a father.

He was more like a stranger to me.

In 1977, I interviewed Enrico Maria Salerno, and he said,

"Drugs, this tragedy…

[Enrico Maria Salerno, recording] …that torments my son, who I try to help.

But I can see no hope for him,

therefore, I wish him a peaceful and calm death."

[recording stops]

-[Red Ronnie] You're alive. -Yes! I'm alive. [laughs]

My father isn't a friend to me like Vincenzo is.

[Vincenzo Muccioli] He ran away, too, and I slapped him a couple of times.

I got a little upset and said, "Are you crazy?"

He was like, "Am I crazy?" And he slapped me again.

[laughter]

So, I started to understand that…

those slaps were not a form of violence. It wasn't cruelty.

[typewriter clacking]

[Montanelli] I know about San Patrignano.

The fact that he ended up on trial and potentially in prison,

a man who deserves a golden medal, filled me with indignation.

[Red Ronnie] When I went to see Indro Montanelli,

whose reputation as a journalist is indisputable,

he told me, "Can't you see

that everyone wants to see Vincenzo Muccioli acquitted?"

And there are times when an addict must be restrained,

given a good slap, and tied up with chains.

I totally approve of Muccioli's methods.

Discipline is cruelty.

Montanelli is a man…

to use a rude but very effective word that explains it well, "with balls."

He's honest and he's a great man.

When I was young, there was Mussolini.

[laughs]

I was an enthusiastic militant in his party until the age of 25,

before fascism started to smell of death.

[newswoman] There are more than 180 witnesses

in defense of Vincenzo Muccioli.

This trial becomes huge,

because among its witnesses, it had celebrities

and actors such as Paolo Villaggio.

[Righi] Do you know the commune of San Patrignano?

-Yes, perfectly. -Why?

Because on 20th May, luckily, I took my son there.

Who is Paolo Villaggio?

[journalist] Paolo Villaggio is a unique, extraordinary showman.

One of the first actors who, through satire,

has been able to draw attention to the issues of our society.

[host] Italians laugh at him,

maybe without realizing they're laughing at themselves.

[applause]

My son was found with three bottles of methadone.

They arrested and jailed him. This is the help that the State gave me.

But luckily, I found Muccioli.

And so, I am ready to defend him like a lion. You have no idea.

I also think that some slaps that Muccioli might have given

are blessed slaps

that we, as progressive fathers, haven't had the courage to give.

-Thank you. Goodbye. -Thank you, Mr. President.

[speaks indistinctly]

-[applause] -[Righi] No, no, no, no, no!

[host] How did your son end up in San Patrignano?

It was thanks to a childhood friend, Gian Marco Moratti,

who is involved in San Patrignano.

He told me, and I begged Muccioli

nine months ago, to accept him.

Here's the witness, Gian Marco Moratti,

the son of the famous oilman, who was also president of the Inter team.

The use of chains was never a method at San Patrignano.

-It was an occurrence… -Until that moment.

But it was a moment of, uh, emergency.

The Morattis hadn't admitted they were funding it,

but then it emerged that, at the start of the trial,

they had invested 200 million lira, which was a huge amount back then.

[De Stefani] When speaking about the Morattis' presence at San Patrignano,

one should also take into consideration some of their views.

[horn honks]

I was told that

Moratti, the husband,

had suffered an acute and incurable ear infection.

While in Rimini, Muccioli managed to cure him

with natural remedies and the contact of his hands,

which adds an esoteric factor to the story.

[Pierini] It would be useful to know how Mucciolli met the Morattis.

I have no true facts about this, but they might have met during seances.

There are these rumors of some esoteric circumstances…

[reporter] These were rumors…

[Vincenzo Muccioli] Why do people care about what I do?

If we hold seances, if we believe in Jesus or in Buddha,

if we believe in Saint Anthony or in the Eternal Father?

Let's report all people who believe in para-psychology.

Our audience would like to know what were… what are these paranormal powers?

I'm very interested in para-psychology.

And I don't think that being interested in that or in seances

constitutes a crime--

[host] Are you also a medium?

I'm not a medium. Medium… I am also a medium.

[Andreucci] During the famous inner circle where Muccioli was the medium,

he spoke on behalf of Christ.

All this allows us to define Muccioli as a unique figure,

a charismatic one, with peculiar aptitudes and skills,

able to persuade and be authoritative at the same time.

Hence, a figure above everyone else and above his followers,

who basically become dependent on him.

You said, "I can't deny I'm addicted to San Patrignano."

It was a joke for all those sociologists who,

uh, confuse the affection between human beings

with psychological dependence.

[Andreucci] What did the inner circle mean for the trial?

It was important to set the story

of this commune,

and to define Muccioli's personality

from those behaviors that the court labeled as evasive.

Basically, some members of this inner circle

reported to the police that they had been locked up.

This is what the procedural acts revealed.

"Furthermore, Muccioli,

portraying himself as a medium of an unidentified deity

and displaying self-inflicted stigmata to gain more credibility,

abused people's trust and caused public disorder

by conveying the deity's wish

to establish the headquarters on the holy hill,

renamed as the Vineyard of the Lord."

It wasn't just drug addicts that were chained,

and this is something that makes your blood run cold.

I am referring to Olivia Gaballi, who is not a drug addict.

I'm referring to Ambra Pagninani,

whose only crime was to be attractive.

I, therefore, ask this court to make Muccioli answer for all of this.

[Vincenzo Muccioli] Here, the judges who set up the trial,

never came to see and check what the reality of things were.

-[Red Ronnie] Are they coming? -Yes, now they are.

But it's not a good thing.

They should have come before this trial was set up.

[suspenseful music playing]

You could only enter San Patrignano accompanied by people from there,

who showed you the beautiful fields,

the beautiful horses, all the most beautiful things.

Here, we keep all the cows after they give birth,

after six, seven months.

[Nigro] But nobody showed you the beatings

or lockups in the dovecote and the kennel.

Clearly.

[dogs barking]

This dog is a world champion.

[dogs barking]

This horse is a VIP. He's a celebrity in America.

He comes from famous stock.

-[horse neighs] -Make him move.

Bring him back.

If you want to buy a horse like that, you'll be spending a lot of money.

[indistinct chattering]

Judge, aren't you visiting a bit late?

-Not really. It's only 10:00 a.m. -I mean days, not hours.

Excuse me, you were here years ago. Has anything changed since then?

Yes, very much so.

-Do you still think that the chains… -I don't know.

What should the State do

if someone tries to solve an issue,

like Muccioli, but maybe makes mistakes?

Does the State have to punish

that person who's actively trying but makes mistakes?

Or does it…

have to just be thankful?

THE LAW

IS EQUAL

FOR ALL

THE LAW IS EQUAL FOR ALL

I have won my battle

because my conscience is clear.

I have nothing to condemn myself for.

The verdict is extremely important,

because if it has a negative outcome,

we'll all lose our faith in institutions, not just the guys.

[camera clicking]

[reporter] Here in Rimini,

the court has to establish how far one can go with methods and means

to save young people from drug addiction.

[suspenseful music playing]

[woman] The court.

[microphone feedback]

"In the name of the Italian people, this court,

under articles 483 and 488 of the Penal Code,

sentences Muccioli Vincenzo to one year and eight months in jail.

-Giulio Tanini…" -[crowd clamoring]

-[shushing] -Shame on you!

[crowd clamoring]

I will read this piece… this…

this disposition, even if you're talking.

I have to read it.

"Vincenzo Muccioli is sentenced to one year, eight months in jail,

and to pay all the legal expenses of those tried."

[Red Ronnie] The judge stammers,

because he doesn't know what he's reading.

He's reading something he probably doesn't even believe in.

He's doing something that goes against a huge wave.

The court is dismissed.

[man] Shame on you!

Mafia!

[woman] You're disgusting!

I knew they were drug dealers!

Drug dealers!

[yelling indistinctly]

Criminals!

The judge can't understand. He doesn't have an addicted son!

How do you deal with drugs? How?

I only have faith in Muccioli! Only him!

[sobbing]

You can't imprison him!

He lost the trial.

He was sentenced, but he won in the public eye.

That is a fact.

[crowd chanting] Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!

Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!

Shame on you! Shame on you!

Without him, we're all dead! Don't you understand?

-[woman sobbing] -[crowd chanting] Shame on you!

[somber music plays]

Subtitle translation by Angelica Lacetera