Italian film lovers hoped when Roberto Benigni’s “Life is Beautiful won international success last year, Italian film would experience a resurgence. But the slump continues, perplexing many. Italian films don’t even make money at home. Why? “Because 30 percent of Italian moviegoers go in without paying,” says one producer. “I personally verified the receipts at one of our theaters last summer. There were 2,000 people there, and 400 didn’t pay for their tickets.” – The Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (New York Times) 06/07/00