CINE CITY

Candido is a gentle and innocent young man who is raised in a household of a minor noble family in Westphalia during the medieval age. Thought his youth he is educated by Dr. Pangloss, who is a teacher of metaphysics and philosophy. Pangloss believes that this is the best of all possible worlds and that any apparent folly, misery and strife are actually all parts of a greater good we mere mortals cannot perceive. Live is joyful for Candido until he falls in love with the Baron's daughter Cunegonda and is caught with his head under her skirt. Outraged, the Baron immediately kicks Candido out of the castle into the world. With this Garden of Eden like expulsion his wanderings and troubles begin.

Time has no meaning now as Candido travels the world searching for his lost love Cunegonda. Guided by his mentor Pangloss who is steadfast in his philosophical good cheer, in the face of more and more fantastic misfortune. Candido strives to stay optimistic as unbelievable horrors unfold. He finds his lost love only to discover she has been raped hundreds of times and seems to delight in the memories. Still trying to be optimistic he continues his journeys and discovers the world is full of brutality, war, slavery and sickness. Just as Candido’s optimism is about to expire he is given the chance to speak to the God-like deity called Dervishu. Candido asks why there is so much evil in the world. A thunderous voice responds simply telling Candido to shut up!

The film is based on the pessimistic novel Candide by Voltaire. Voltaire a 16th century author was furious that learned members of a "civilized" society could claim that the apparent senseless violence and mayhem wrought by disasters, war, disease, man's cruelty, etc. was actually only a part of some 'greater good'. After all, God (being perfect) could not 'logically' have created anything but the 'best of all possible' universes.

From the directing team of Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi who presented the horrors of the world in the documentaries MONDO CANE (1962) and AFRICA ADDIO (1966) and the evils of slavery with GOODBYE UNCLE TOM.(1971). Seemingly the two were still not satisfied as they turned to the pessimistic work of Voltaire, whom must have been a mentor to the duo. Now freed from the constraints of history or the documentary format the two were free to create an entire world of horrors using their past cinematic experiences to color their newest artwork. It is a fitting finally for the nihilistic and cynical team of Jacopetti and Prosperi. An explosive and very pessimistic last word that is so absurd that it penetrates the consciousness at a very fundamental level.