Overview

• The film premiered as the opening title of the 82nd Venice Film Festival in competition for the Golden Lion.
• Toni Servillo plays President Mariano De Santis opposite Anna Ferzetti as his daughter, with critics praising Servillo’s performance and the film’s measured tone.
• Early press screenings drew positive reactions with laughter and sustained applause, noting a shift toward a more linear, intimate narrative.
• Sorrentino cites a real pardon granted by Sergio Mattarella as inspiration, while stressing the president depicted is fictional and set in an imagined Italy.
• An Italian theatrical release is planned for January 2026 before an exclusive Netflix window in Italy, with MUBI handling international distribution.