Franca Rame and Dario Fo's Play 'Coppia aperta quasi spalancata' Becomes Film at Venice Film Festival

The 1983 play 'Coppia aperta quasi spalancata' by Franca Rame and Dario Fo has been adapted into a film directed by Federica Di Giacomo, starring and produced by Chiara Francini. The film premiered as the opening film of the Giornate degli Autori, an independent section of the 2024 Venice Film Festival, and is now in theaters distributed by I Wonder Pictures. Di Giacomo previously made history at Venice with her documentary 'Liberami' about exorcisms. The film explores contemporary forms of love and relationships, based on the play's story of a desperate woman whose husband asks for an open relationship, leading to a role reversal when she falls in love with another man. Francini, who has been performing the play on stage for four years, stated she wanted to combine her loves of theater and cinema to convey Rame's message about the pain and holes in a couple's life. The film is described as an ironic, irreverent fresco on the pursuit of happiness, emphasizing self-awareness and acceptance of diversity.