‘Familia’ Team Adapts Luigi Celeste’s Popular Memoir for Italy’s Oscar Contender – Contenders International

Italy, the country with the most wins in the Best International Feature Film Oscar category at 14 victories, is set to compete this year with Familia, directed by Francesco Costabile. The film is an adaptation of Luigi Celestes memoir and tells the story of Gigi (Francesco Gheghi), a young man living with his mother (Barbara Ronchi) and brother (Marco Cicalese). The family has long been estranged from their violent father, Franco (Francesco Di Leva). Seeking an outlet for his anger, Gigi connects with a group of far-right skinheads. When Franco suddenly reenters their lives, Gigi must confront his past and make life-changing choices about his future.

Costabile revealed that he discovered Celestes memoir after completing his first film, Una Femmina, which also explored violence against women, but within the context of a Calabrian mafia family. He noted that he wanted to tackle a more universal theme, reflecting the way violence can affect people across all social backgrounds.

The memoir had significant popularity in Italy, and securing the adaptation rights was straightforward because Celeste had long dreamed of seeing his story on screen. He wrote the book while in prison, sharing his personal perspective. Usually, events like this are reduced to short newspaper summaries that ignore the familys complex psychological dynamics. This allowed Luigis story to be fully told, Costabile explained.

For her role, Ronchi did not meet Celestes mother in real life but conducted extensive research, including interviews with domestic abuse survivors. Gheghi, meanwhile, spent considerable time speaking with Celeste by phone. We shared his emotions and experiences, including his time in the fascist group. Meeting him in person after three weeks on set was magicalwe recognized each other without speaking, Gheghi recounted.

The film represents both a personal and cultural exploration, aiming to convey the nuanced impact of familial violence while bringing a compelling story to Italys Oscar submission.

Author: Caleb Jennings