Five Italian Films Compete for Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival

The 79th Venice International Film Festival (August 31–September 10, 2022) features five Italian films in the main competition for the Golden Lion. The selections are: "Il signore delle Formiche" by Gianni Amelio, starring Luigi Lo Cascio, Elio Germano, and Sara Serraiocco; "Bones and All" by Luca Guadagnino, with Timothée Chalamet; "Monica" by Andrea Pallaoro; "L'immensità" by Emanuele Crialese, featuring Penélope Cruz; and "Chiara" by Susanna Nicchiarelli, with Margherita Mazzucco. Artistic director Alberto Barbera commented on Italian cinema's high quantity but variable quality, noting that some of these films are exceptionally beautiful. The films tackle strong social themes, often centered on love in its various forms. "Il signore delle Formiche" revisits the 1960s trial of playwright Aldo Braibanti, convicted of plagiarism—a charge used to persecute nonconformists. "Bones and All" follows two cannibalistic teenagers on a road trip through the Midwest. "Monica" portrays a woman returning home to care for her terminally ill mother. "L'immensità" is set in 1970s Rome, focusing on a family in crisis and a 12-year-old girl who insists she is a boy. "Chiara" tells the story of Saint Clare of Assisi, reimagined as an active figure rather than a backdrop to Saint Francis's tale.