Italian
The great anticipation for the Venice International Film Festival cannot overlook the Italian films competing this year.
It begins with La Grazia by Paolo Sorrentino, which, as announced, will open the competition at the Lido. The film, marked by its mysterious narrative style, has already sparked enormous curiosity. Following him, the other Italian titles selected promise both brilliance and heartfelt engagement.
With Pietro Marcello, who has previously participated in the Cannes and Venice competitions, we return to cinematic legend with Duse, a film that revisits the final years of Eleonora Duse, iconic figure of silent—yet profoundly theatrical—cinema.
Leonardo Di Costanzo arrives at the Lido with Elisa, a story that delves deep into emotion and intensity, in line with his strong directorial style that blends truth and passion. The film tells of a young woman from a well-off family who has been in prison for ten years for killing her sister.
For Franco Maresco, Un film fatto per Bene marks a return to Venice as well. True to his style, it promises to be anything but predictable—a pledge that will not remain merely on paper.
The lineup of five Italian contenders also includes Sotto le nuvole by Gianfranco Rosi, unforgettable Golden Lion winner in 2013 and Golden Bear recipient in 2016. This time, he presents a documentary set in an unusual Naples, moving between the Gulf, Vesuvius, and the Phlegraean Fields.
Five very different films, yet together they confirm the vitality of Italian cinema—ready to embrace a new, passionate challenge, charged with the pathos that only major competitions can bring.
Photo Credit: La Biennale di Venezia
Prima Fila by Mauro Lama
