The festival director, Alberto Barbera, expressed delight at showcasing a new work by Sorrentino at the opening, recalling that the filmmaker made his debut feature film, ‘L’uomo in più’, in 2001, also in Venice.
“Paolo Sorrentino’s return to the competition arrives with a film set to leave its mark for its great originality and powerful relevance to the present time,” added Barbera.
‘La Grazia’ is written and directed by Sorrentino, featuring Toni Servillo in the lead role.
Described as “a love story set in Italy,” the film’s global distribution rights were acquired by the platform Mubi in February.
Born in Naples in 1970, Sorrentino has been acclaimed at major international festivals and won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2014 with ‘The Great Beauty’.
This year’s Venice festival is scheduled to take place from August 27 to September 6.
