Matteo Rovere's 'Il primo re' reinvents Rome's foundation myth in proto-Latin

Matteo Rovere's film 'Il primo re' (The First King), released in Italian theaters on January 31, 2019, by 01Distribution, offers a raw, experimental retelling of the founding of Rome. Shot in proto-Latin with subtitles, the movie stars Alessio Lapice as Romulus and Alessandro Borghi as Remus, two brothers struggling for survival and power. The screenplay, co-written by Rovere, Filippo Gravino, and Francesca Manieri, draws on ancient sources like Livy, Plutarch, and Ovid. Daniele Ciprì's cinematography provides a stark, realistic visual style. The film emphasizes the role of a vestal virgin, Satnei (played by Tania Garribba), and fire as central symbolic elements. Archaeological research informed the reconstruction of villages, huts, and temples, including the Via Sacra leading to the sanctuary of Jupiter Latiaris and the Salaria road to the Temple of Vesta. The narrative explores the tension between divine will and human ambition, presenting a myth that questions the West's relationship with God.