Le Palme e Tangeri

Overview

The film is a denunciation of Western capitalist society, which exploits the poorest regions in the world's Orient. The film opens with a closeup on a newspaper article that reads, « What Italian industry offers Asia. Modern manufacturing, sophisticated technology and willingness to do business with the East ». The following sequence is set on a beach, where musicians play Arabic music, and a dancer moves sensually. At a certain point the director, Luginbühl, interrupts the scene, even slapping the dancer's face. This is clearly an allegory of how Western capitalism exploits and enslaves the East.