Sorrentino’s New Film La Grazia to Open Venice Film Festival
Venice: Paolo Sorrentino’s new film, La Grazia, will open the 82nd Venice Film Festival on August 27, organisers announced on Friday. The film stars Toni Servillo, marking his seventh collaboration with Sorrentino, who is renowned for winning the 2014 Best Foreign Picture Oscar with The Great Beauty.
According to Ansa News Agency, festival director Alberto Barbera expressed his enthusiasm about the selection, stating, “I am very happy that the 82nd Venice Film Festival is opening with the new, highly anticipated film by Paolo Sorrentino.” Barbera reflected on Sorrentino’s long-standing relationship with the festival, noting that the filmmaker made his debut at the Venice Biennale in 2001 with One Man Up during Barbera’s early years as artistic director.
Barbera also highlighted the significance of Sorrentino’s previous works at the festival, including the out-of-competition presentation of The Young Pope series and the 2021 Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize winner, It Was the Hand of God. He emphasized that Sorrentino’s return to competition is marked by a film that is poised to resonate with its originality and contemporary relevance, promising an engaging experience for the festival audience on opening night. The 82nd Venice Film Festival is slated to run from August 27 to September 6, 2025.
La Grazia, also featuring Massimo Venturiello and Anna Ferzetti, is primarily set in Piedmont and its capital, Turin, showcasing locations such as the renowned Egyptian Museum. Some scenes were also filmed at the iconic Spanish Steps in Rome.