Luca Zingaretti Makes Directorial Debut with 'La casa degli sguardi'

Italian actor Luca Zingaretti makes his directorial debut with 'La casa degli sguardi', a film freely inspired by Daniele Mencarelli's novel of the same name (Mondadori). Released in Italian cinemas on April 10 via Lucky Red, the film explores father-son relationships, grief, alcohol abuse, and the difficult need to start over. The protagonist Marco is a 20-year-old alcoholic with heightened sensitivity who uses alcohol to achieve 'forgetfulness'—a state of self-oblivion interpreted as a malaise from an inability to bear pain. The story unfolds in a pediatric hospital, described as the 'absolute center of pain', where Marco's experience ultimately strengthens him. Zingaretti also plays the father, a tram driver who educates his son through example after losing his wife. The director notes that the father character was expanded from the book, where he barely existed. Zingaretti emphasizes that the film challenges stereotypes about poetry being feminine, and aims to make poetry accessible to all. During the promotional tour, audiences have connected with different aspects of the story, from the foreman's behavior to the simple act of smoking a cigarette after work.