Pupi Avati's Dante Film Premieres in Italy

Pupi Avati's film 'Dante' premiered in Italian cinemas on September 29, 2022, distributed by 01 Distribution. The biopic portrays Dante Alighieri as a young man driven by love and justice, focusing on his human struggles rather than his poetic legacy. The narrative is framed by Giovanni Boccaccio's 1350 pilgrimage from Florence to Ravenna to deliver ten gold florins as symbolic compensation for Dante's exile to his daughter, Suor Beatrice. Alessandro Sperduti plays Dante, Sergio Castellitto plays Boccaccio. Avati spent 25 years researching the project, drawing on chroniclers like Villani, Velluti, and Compagni, as well as Dante scholars. The film emphasizes Dante's humanity, shaped by losses: his mother's death in childhood, Beatrice Portinari's death in his youth, his best friend's exile, and his own unjust condemnation. Literary critic Giulio Ferroni praised the film's emotional rhythm and authentic medieval reconstruction, noting the performances capture a non-heroic, humble humanity. Avati described the film as a 'sacred portrait' and a triple artistic encounter: his with Dante, and Dante's with Boccaccio.