Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino returned to the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday evening, opening the 82nd edition with his latest feature La Grazia. The in-competition drama about the final days of a fictional Italian presidency was greeted with an ovation that lasted 6 minutes and 20 seconds.
La Grazia stars Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti. Sorrentino directed the film from his own screenplay in his first film on the Lido since his 2021 Grand Jury Prize winner The Hand of God.
After tonight’s screening, which had been preceded by a ceremony honoring Werrner Herzog with a Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion, the applause started as soon as the credits began, and paused briefly for a mid-credit scene. After the scene, the crowd, which included attendees Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett, was more enthusiastic.
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Earlier today, Sorrentino shared a tribute to the veteran Italian actor and producer Claudio Vecchio, who died earlier this month in Rome. Vecchio starred in Sorrentino’s Oscar winner The Great Beauty and has a brief role in La Grazia.
La Grazia is a Fremantle film produced by The Apartment, Numero 10 and PiperFilm, which will distribute in Italy. Mubi owns worldwide rights, excluding Italy. The Match Factory is handling international sales.
Sorrentino’s relationship with Venice goes back to his first feature One ManUp, which played here in 2001. In 2013, he debuted The Great Beauty (also starring Servillo) at Cannes, going on to win the Best International Feature Oscar. His other credits include Il Divo, This Must be the Place, Youth, The Young Pope, Loro and Parthenope.
