20/04/2022 - The new film by the Neapolitan director, co-produced with France, will be in competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, with Pierfrancesco Favino in the lead role

It's a new film set in Naples' Sanità neighbourhood for Mario Martone. After The Mayor of Rione Sanità [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mario Martone
film profile] (in competition at the 2019 Venice Film Festival), the Neapolitan director will be in official competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival with Nostalgia, the only Italian title in the running this year for the Palme d'Or, co-produced with France.

Based on the posthumous novel of the same name by Ermanno Rea, Nostalgia stars Pierfrancesco Favino (already at Cannes in 2019 with Marco Bellocchio and his film The Traitor [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Marco Bellocchio
film profile], and currently in Italian cinemas with the comedy Corro da te [+see also:
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trailer
film profile]). The actor plays the role of Felice, a man who after forty years away returns to where he was born, the Sanità district, in the belly of Naples. He rediscovers the places, the codes of the neighbourhood and a past that devours him. The screenplay was written by Martone with Ippolita Di Majo, who worked with the director on The King of Laughter [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mario Martone
film profile], The Mayor of Rione Sanità, Capri-Revolution [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mario Martone
film profile] and Leopardi [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mario Martone
film profile].

Favino is joined by Francesco Di Leva, Tommaso Ragno, Aurora Quattrocchi, Sofia Essaidi and Nello Mascia. The cast also includes Emanuele Palumbo, Artem, Salvatore Striano and Virginia Apicella. The film was photographed by Paolo Carnera (America Latina [+see also:
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trailer
film profile], Leonora addio [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Paolo Taviani
film profile]).

Nostalgia is an Italian-French co-production led by Picomedia and Mad Entertainment in association with Medusa Film, in co-production with Paris-based Rosebud Entertainment Pictures. The film, made in partnership with Arte Cofinova and in collaboration with Prime Video, is co-financed by the European Union. Distribution in Italy is entrusted to Medusa Film, and in France to Arp Sélection.

This year will mark Mario Martone's fourth appearance at Cannes. In 1995 L'amore molesto was presented in competition, and in 1998 Teatro di guerra was selected in the Un Certain Regard section. In 2004, The Scent of Blood was part of the Directors’ Fortnight section.

(Translated from Italian)