He Sees Comedy Where There Is Tragedy

Roberto Benigni, whose film Life is Beautifulwas set during the Holocaust, is currently shooting a comedy about the Iraq war.

In spite of the subject matter, Oscar-winner Benigni intends the film – which is due for release in 2005 – to be a comedy.
Benigni plays the part of a poet who is in Iraq by chance and is caught up in the events.
“War naturally is the background of the film and my character is directly involved in it. This poet ends up in Iraq by pure chance,” Benigni told Italian Rai radio.