Dun Benit Synopsis

Episode One Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Dun Benit is the village parish priest. Some of the parishioners like him, but others do not. Mostly the latter are supporters of Pippo, the mayor and President of the Red Club, a person with sicilian descendants known for their Communist beliefs. The Red Club supporters are always on the look out for Dun Benit, trying to find a valid reason in order to get rid of him. Gizella may be a problem; being the priest’s sister who is making eyes at Pippo. But the biggest trouble may be Gizi, a young attractive girl, who arrives from abroad to live in Dun Benit’s house … Episode Two Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Gizi arrives in Malta and enjoys herself to the full, even at the Red Club bar in our village. Mayor Mr. Pippo doesn’t like the way this girl has been interesting all the males who usually frequent his society’s bar. He also questions why this beauty has come to the village asking for the parish priest. Meanwhile, Dun Benit is cautious of any plan by the Mayor to challenge the church ruling not to let the Red Band take part in the annual festa. The rivalry between the priest and the Mayor gets personal because of Dun Benit’s decision to send his sister Gizella to Rome, in an attempt to make her forget Pippo once and for all. Episode Three Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Govann tries to play Prince Charming in front of Gizella, who is troubled because of a misunderstanding with her brother Dun Benit. Somebody had mistaken her for someone else. Gizella finds out their niece had to arrive from abroad soon and Dun Benit sends Anglu to the airport in a hurry, but something goes wrong. In the meantime, a band march organised by the the Red Club arrives in front of the parish priest’s house at a time when Dun Benit comes to know that his niece Gizi has been in his village for quite a while. Episode Four Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda The trouble around Dun Benit is never ending. He has to be on the alert for all that his followers do because of his opponents. For example Govann never seems to stop his craze for women, even if in the parish church premises. Parishioners frequenting church are on the decrease, maybe because Dun Benit refused to bless the Red Club new statue. Moreover, when the priest visited the club, no one took notice of him. His own niece was stealing the limelight! Episode Five Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Commotion could be heard outside Dun Benit’s house. Mayor Mr. Pippo could be seen surrounded by supporters applauding and congratulating him. Inside the house, Dun Benit and his followers could not understand what was happening exactly. Could it be because of the niece’s kidnap? And what has the Bishop to do with all this? As things turn out, Pippo and Gizella are together again. Everyone is glad, except Govann, who has been trying to woo Gizella for long. Episode Six Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda The conflict between Dun Benit and the Red Club continues to grow. Some villagers think that the priest is right in rejecting the band’s participation in the festa. Others believe that in order to maintain peace, it is wiser to let them take part. Gizella is tired of the situation, in the middle of a row between her brother and her lover. The arrival of Rachel, Gizi’s sister, stirs more trouble!! Gizi enjoys herself going around the streets on her bicycle. The village males enjoy themselves more! Until one day… Episode Seven Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Gizi and her sister Rachel bring about more confusion. The fact that only their mother knows that they are two different persons is very difficult for others to understand. Many believe that they are the same person, Gizi, and that she is getting insane. At times she is most tempting versus males, and then she speaks of her vocation to become a nun! The Monsignor’s arrival bothers Serafina a lot. His words are not usual for a religious person. And this diabolic attitude of his is not only in words!! Episode Eight Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda The change that occurs in Gizi doesn’t reflect on her sister Rachel. All of a sudden, Gizi wants to become a nun while Rachel is too much interested in males and worries her mother Serafina. Gizi speaks of her vocation to the Monsignor. He is puzzled about the change in her. Her innocent show of gratitude makes Serafina feel uncomfortable. Then, when the Monsignor is alone with Serafina, he tries to take advantage. Gizella enters the room and is stunned by what she sees. Episode Nine Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Dun Benit feels unwell. The forthcoming wedding between his sister Gizella and Mayor Pippo is something he never believed could happen. But even when preparations are in full swing, trouble seems to be on top of the agenda. Dun Benit still has a Monsignor in his house who seems interested only in the women. He still has a niece who at times appears to be tempting all the males and at others wants to become a nun... Episode Ten Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda The wedding day between Pippo and Gizella, Dun Benit’s sister arrives. But, unexpectedly, the groom does not turn up with no one aware where he could be. Gizella is in misery and Govann, like always, tries to turn the situation in his favour. The telephone rings and everyone thinks that it could be some news about Pippo. But the call results in good news for Dun Benit who soon forgets all the trouble, even his sister’s. Lena is furious and swears to tell all the villagers. Episode Eleven Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Some villagers return from their holidays in Sicily. They come to know of the close ties Pippo’s Sicilian relatives have with the Italian Communist Party. Dun Benit is troubled when Govann tells him that these Sicilians are waiting for Pippo’s revival of the Maltese Communist Party. Govann has also news for Anglu about his girlfriend Lena’s past. This almost leads to an end of their relationship, but with Dun Benit’s insistence, not only are they together again, but … Episode Twelve Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Gizella is pregnant but her relations with Pippo are not as before. Govann is one of the organisers of a trip to Rome and takes the trip with Gorg two days before the others to check that all is set at the hotel. There he meets Bettina, a woman who draws his attention, especially at learning that she owns the hotel. Dun Benit and his niece Rachel find their way to the same venue and someone gets suspicious Episode Thirteen Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Misunderstandings between Gizella and Pippo carry on during their trip to Rome. Gizella is irritated by Pippo’s secret meetings and suspects an ulterior motive. Things get worse when Gizella and Govann are caught kissing in the hotel garden. Moreover, Gizella decides that if Pippo’s attitude remains unchanged, she would spend the night in Govann’s room. A conversation in Dun Benit’s room is misinterpreted to stir up more trouble. Episode Fourteen Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Still in Rome for a holiday, Pippo is still puzzled about his wife Gizella’s behaviour. He believes that all his trouble was planned by Dun Benit to take revenge against his setting up of a Communist Party. Govann is embarrassed to go out of his hotel room as everyone is aware of his close friendship to an ex-porno star. The news reaches Malta and some accuse Dun Benit of spreading the news. The priest feels the need of making a sermon even in Rome. Episode Fifteen Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda Gizella bears a son while still in Rome. In Malta the Red Club members prepare celebrations for Pippo’s new offspring’s arrival in the village. Everyone is happy with the new baby except Pippo who has his doubts. Moreover when Dun Benit is heard conversating about his efforts in an annulment case, they think that he is referring to his own sister’s marriage. Only Rachel is to blame for all the misunderstandings, but as if these were not enough… Episode Sixteen Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda The holiday in Rome is more than a year away and Gizella is pregnant again. Rachel had married Johnnie and they had emigrated to England. The Red Club members plan to erect a monument for a certain Eduardo Brambotti in the village square. Suor Roberta prefers to repair the statue of St. Andrew which was lately vandalised instead of a new monument to someone yet unknown. A new arrival at Dun Benit’s house is Antonio… Episode Seventeen Visual Direction: Paul Attard Artistic Direction: John Suda In this final episode, Brambotti’s monument creates more problems for Pippo and Gizella. Dun Benit is tired of all the trouble and plans to go back to the missions, an idea which delights Dun Salv. The Red Club lottery is won by Dun Benit. He sends Anglu with his ticket. Dun Benit is to take the cash prize, while the surprise for the lottery winner is to be retained by Anglu. What turns out to be this surprise for the winner? Anglu finds his surprise in the sacristy … Episode Eighteen Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci Pippo, his wife Gizella and their son leave for the States. They may stay for a couple of weeks, for some months or even forever. Despite the fact that they rarely saw eye to eye, Dun Benit missed Pippo more than anyonje else. In Pippo’s absence, two vacancies were created. The village had no mayor and the Red Club without a President. Govann wished to try his luck… Episode Nineteen Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci The vigilance corp set up by the Red Club to keep a watchful eye on Brambotti’s monument is responsible for the sound beating Guzeppi got as he approached the monument by night. He is hospitalised and when Dun Benit visits him, the priest is sure that Guzeppi is acting more than anything else. At the time, the Red Club committee members receive information that, after all, Brambotti not only was never a hero, but… Episode Twenty Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci A powerful explosive device destroys Brambotti’s contested monument. Some believe that the attack was Govann’s responsibility in revenge to the conspiracy against him in the Club’s Presidential selection. But the Police Inspector’s suspects are none but Mikiel and Salvu; the club’s secretary and pyrotechnic expert respectively. Episode Twenty one Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci His Grace the Archbishop is outraged at Dun Benit for inviting him to a can-can show at the parish hall. Moreover someone who remains anonymous writes a letter on a local paper to report that erotic dancing took place in the church hall with Dun Benit’s blessing. Who wrote the letter? Meanwhile Rachel and Johnnie arrive back in Malta. Episode Twenty two Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci Gizella’s comments about her husband Pippo make Lena have her own doubts about their relationship. Moreover when Gizella goes for an errand to Valletta and Govann too goes by bus to Valletta, suspicions continue to accumulate. Dun Benit is worried that the Parsih Council is not functioning properly and wished to change some of the members. The Red Club committee chooses… Episode Twenty three Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci Gizi disappears from the convent and no one is aware where she had spent the night. At the same time, Johnnie enters secretly into the sacristy and sleeps in the basement. Some think that Gizi had slept in the basement and Lena is furious at her husband Anglu for letting Gizi sleep in his quarters. Episode Twenty four Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci Dun Benit decides that, contrary to previous years, this year the Red Club members won’t carry the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows to be substituted by their opponents. And as the statue is carried shoulder high, surprisingly, petards are heard in the village. All the papers report with a shame that fireworks were let off during a Holy Week procession. Members of both clubs blame each other and the police arrest some persons. Episode Twenty five Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci Dun Salv arrives in the village for some days and compares the luxury local priests live in with the poverty in the missions. He launches an appeal for volunteers who wish to go to the missions with him. He even tries to raise funds for the building of a clinic, a chapel and a school but finds little help. But Dun Benit offers to try to find benefactors. Episode Twenty six Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci Dun Benit’s fund raising for the new statue lands him in more trouble. After collecting a sum, Dun Benit says that St. Catald spoke to him to give the money to Dun Salv for the missions. The faithful turn against him and boycott all church activities. Masses are said with only a few people hearing it. But mostly Dun Benit is outraged because even the sisters follow the boycott. Episode Twenty seven Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci The annual feast in honour of St. Catald was not organised this year. And the village is mentioned in newspapers because of the opening of the new Communist Party Headquarters. The new party is ready to establish its own band and children’s brigata. But what hurts Dun benit most is the name mentioned of who will head the women’s section of the party. Episode Twenty eight Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci The “miracle” succeeds to bring back some peace in the village, but not to Dun Benit. After some time going out with Govann, Serafina seems to be more interested in Guzeppi. Rachel too, leaves Johnnie for Mikiel. Meanwhile, Gizi shows interest in going to Kenya to help Dun Salv in the missions. What happens in all this? Episode Twenty nine Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci Suor Roberta is led to beleive that Serafina is pregnant and the news spreads like bushfire. And the news is confirmed when she and Govann prepare to wed in a haste. Pippo and Gizella plan to celebrate their anniversary dinner. At first, Dun Benit says that he will not be present due to some usual argument with Pippo. Then he decides to attend. Little does he know, but, that the dinner would be held inside the Communist club. Episode Thirty Visual Direction: Hermann Bonaci Artistic Direction: Hermann Bonaci In this last episode, the elections are near and Pippo Burrone and his Communists are set to run. Trouble for Dun Benit increases when he finds out that the party’s propaganda was led from his own home by his niece Rachel. Moreover, the Archbishop thinks that an article in favour of Communism was written by Dun Benit himself…