Paolo Sorrentino: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

Co-presented by Cinecittà

Few Italian filmmakers since Fellini have paired sumptuous visual style with piquant social commentary as effectively as Paolo Sorrentino, who also brings a barbed sense of humor to the table that’s uniquely his own. Since moving from shorts and screenwriting to helming features in the new millennium, the Naples-born writer-director has been a favorite at Cannes – and throughout the cinema world since his breakthrough Oscar winner THE GREAT BEAUTY.

Among the secrets of Sorrentino’s success is the creative team he has assembled over the years, most prominent among them Toni Servillo; From the Mafia pawn of THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE to IL DIVO’s corrupt politician to THE GREAT BEAUTY’s dissipated writer, the actor’s dizzying variety of roles cuts across all strata of Italian society. Though his native land provides a bumper crop of colorful characters, Sorrentino has also ventured into New York (THIS MUST BE THE PLACE) and the Swiss Alps (YOUTH) for features in English.

The new THE HAND OF GOD plays to all of the filmmaker’s many strengths. Set in 1980s Naples, the film follows the young Fabietto (Filippo Scotti) as he pursues his love for football in the midst of a family tragedy, shaping his uncertain but promising future as a filmmaker. The Cinematheque has screened Paolo Sorrentino’s films in the past as part of our Cinema Italian Style series and is pleased to present his latest in an exclusive 35mm run.

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