La grazia
2025 film by Paolo Sorrentino
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
La grazia (lit. 'The pardon') is a 2025 Italian drama film produced, written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Starring Toni Servillo, Anna Ferzetti, and Massimo Venturiello, it follows a fictional Catholic Italian president conflicted about the pending approval of euthanasia in the country.
| La grazia | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Paolo Sorrentino |
| Written by | Paolo Sorrentino |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Daria D'Antonio |
| Edited by | Cristiano Travaglioli |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 133 minutes[1] |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
| Box office | $3.2 million[2][3] |
The film had its world premiere as the opening film of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 27 August 2025, where Servillo won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. It was theatrically released in Italy on 15 January 2026.
Plot
President of Italy Mariano De Santis, a staunch Catholic and experienced jurist, begins his white semester and is conflicted about whether he should sign into law a bill legalizing euthanasia, and at the same time has to consider the pardon petitions of two individuals who murdered their partners before the end of his term.[4]
Cast
- Toni Servillo as President Mariano De Santis
- Anna Ferzetti as Dorotea De Santis
- Massimo Venturiello as Minister of Justice Ugo Romani
- Orlando Cinque as Colonel Massimo Labaro
- Milvia Marigliano as Coco Valori
- Giuseppe Gaiani as General Lanfranco Mare
- Giovanna Guida as Valeria Cafiero
- Simone Colombari as Prime Minister Giulio Malerba
- Alessia Giuliani as Maria Gallo
- Roberto Zibetti as Domenico Samaritano
- Linda Messerklinger as Isa Rocca
- Vasco Mirandola as Cristiano Arpa
- Rufin Doh Zeyenouin as the Pope
Production
Development
The film was announced on 4 December 2024, with Paolo Sorrentino writing and directing.[6][7] Sorrentino explained that the inspiration for the film came by the case of a man pardoned by Italian president Sergio Mattarella after being convicted for murdering his wife, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.[8]
Casting
Toni Servillo, a longtime collaborator of Sorrentino, was announced as a cast member on 4 December 2024.[6][9] In May 2025, Massimo Venturiello revealed that he had also taken part in the film.[10]
Filming
Sorrentino had scouted locations throughout Piedmont prior to filming.[11][12] Principal photography began in Turin in March 2025.[13] Filming took place at the Castello del Valentino, the Moncalieri Castle, the Palazzo Chiablese, the Polytechnic University of Turin, the Accademia delle Scienze di Torino, the Museo Egizio, and the Tesoriera bowling alley.[14][15][16] Filming also took place at the Piazza di Spagna in Rome.[17] Filming was completed by early May 2025.[18][19]
Release
In February 2025, Mubi acquired worldwide rights to the film, excluding Italy; the company will distribute in North and Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, the Benelux, Spain, Turkey, India, Australia, and New Zealand, with their subsidiary The Match Factory handling sales elsewhere.[20]
During a Q&A session at SXSW London in June 2025, Efe Cakarel, CEO of Mubi, hinted towards La grazia premiering at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.[21] This news was confirmed in July 2025, with La grazia announced as the festival's opening film; it premiered in competition for the Golden Lion on 27 August 2025.[22][23][24] The film also screened at the New York Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival.[25][26] It received a theatrical release in Italy on 15 January 2026.[27]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 46 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Celebrating the virtues of fortitude and patience, La Grazia is an atypically restrained effort from writer-director Paolo Sorrentino that reunites him with the dependably majestic Toni Servillo."[28] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[29]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Film Festival | September 6, 2025 | Golden Lion | Paolo Sorrentino | Nominated | [30][31] |
| Brian Award | Won | ||||
| Volpi Cup for Best Actor | Toni Servillo | Won | |||
| Pasinelli Award | Anna Ferzetti | Won | |||
| Chicago International Film Festival | October 24, 2025 | Gold Hugo | La grazia | Nominated | [32] |
| Best Screenplay | Paolo Sorrentino | Won | |||
| European Film Awards | January 17, 2026 | Best Screenwriter | Paolo Sorrentino | Nominated | [33] |
| Best Actor | Toni Servillo | Nominated | |||
| David di Donatello | May 6, 2026 | Best Film | La grazia | Pending | [34] |
| Young David Award | Pending | ||||
| Best Director | Paolo Sorrentino | Pending | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Pending | ||||
| Best Actress | Anna Ferzetti | Pending | |||
| Best Actor | Toni Servillo | Pending | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Milvia Marigliano | Pending | |||
| Best Casting | Anna Maria Sambucco, Massimo Appolloni | Pending | |||
| Best Cinematography | Daria D'Antonio | Pending | |||
| Production Design | Ludovica Ferrario, Laura Casalini | Pending | |||
| Best Costumes | Carlo Poggioli | Pending | |||
| Best Make-up | Paola Gattabrusi | Pending | |||
| Best Editing | Cristiano Travaglioli | Pending | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Rodolfo Migliari, Lena Di Gennaro | Pending | |||
