Since his directorial debut in 2001, Paolo Sorrentino has become one of the premier auteurs in Italian cinema. Now, Sorrentino looks to further cement his legacy as his next film, “The Hand Of God,” vies for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival this September.
In his most personal film to date, Sorrentino looks back on his youth in a semi-autobiographical tale about an Italian teen coming of age in the mid-1980s. Soccer fans will pick up on the movie’s title as a reference to Diego Maradona’s infamous goal during the 1986 World Cup. The soccer legend’s arrival in Naples in 1984 sets the course for the rest of a young man’s life.
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Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
From Academy Award-winning writer and director Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty) comes the story of a young man’s heartbreak and liberation in 1980s Naples, Italy. The Hand of God follows Fabietto Schisa, an awkward Italian teen whose life and vibrant, eccentric family are suddenly upended—first by the electrifying arrival of soccer legend Diego Maradona and then by a shocking accident from which Maradona inadvertently saves Fabietto, setting his future in motion. Sorrentino returns to his hometown to tell his most personal story, a tale of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss.
Tony Servillo, a regular fixture in Sorrentino’s films, leads the cast. Servillo and Sorrentino first worked together on the director’s debut film “One Man Up,” which had its award-winning premiere at Venice back in 2001. Since then, they’ve also worked together on 2004’s “Consequences Of Love,” 2007’s “Il Divo,” 2013’s “The Great Beauty,” and 2018’s “Loro.”
“The Hand Of God” also stars Filippo Scotti, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, and Renato Carpentieri. Massimiliano Gallo, Betti Pedrazzi, Biagio Manna, and Ciro Capano round out the main cast.
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Will Sorrentino take the top prize at Venice in his home country? Follow The Playlist’s coverage when the festival begins on September 1 to find out. “The Hand Of God” then hits select theaters in the US on December 3 before streaming exclusively on Netflix on December 15. In the meantime, check out the new trailer below.
Update: The first two clips from the Venice Film Festival have arrived, though they don’t come with English subtitles yet. We’ll switch those out when they arrive, but it’ll still give you a good taste.
