'Figli' Hits Italian Theaters January 23

I've been seeing so many posters on social media promoting Giuseppe Bonito's new film Figli (Children), which will open in Italy on January 23. The film stars two of my personal favorites, Paola Cortellesi as Sara and Valerio Mastandrea as Nicola, a happily married couple with a 6-year-old girl daughter, Anna. The arrival of their second child, Pietro, upsets the balance of the whole family, giving rise to hilariously tragic situations. Extravagant grandparents, friends on the verge of nervous breakdowns, and unlikely babysitters will not help them. Between moments of happiness and situations of despair, Sara and Nicola do all they can to cope and stay together.

The release of the film will undoubtedly be a bittersweet experience for the cast and crew because the writer, Mattia Torre, passed away after losing his battle with cancer in July of last year at the age of 47. In a director's note, Bonito stated that he feels Figli is a film by Torre because he didn't simply write the script but "lived" it as the story was inspired by his own life experiences. "Figli is the comic and moving story of a couple, two people who love each other and try to withstand the shock wave of parenting in a chaotic time and in an increasingly hostile country," explained Bonito.

Torre was a beloved, gifted writer who worked in theater, television, and film. He is best known for his work on the television series Boris, a satire of Italian television fiction. The show ran between 2007 and 2010. Three seasons were made available on Netflix in Italy. Torre directed season 2. Numerous actors appeared in the series over its run, including Carolina Crescentini, Marco Giallini, Valentina Lodovini, and Filippo Timi, just to name a few. Then, in 2011, Boris: The Film was released with the same premise as the series. Composer Giuliano Taviani worked on both the series and the film. He also wrote the soundtrack for Figli.

Check out this beautiful tribute that was made following Torre's death..

I am hoping that Figli will come to Open Roads: New Italian Cinema in June. We'll keep you posted.. In the meantime, click here to check out the trailer.

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