– Adapted from Maria Grazia Calandrone’s Strega Prize-shortlisted novel, the film is an Italian-Spanish co-production between Fandango, Vision Distribution and BTeam Prods
Margherita Buy, Tecla Insolia and Daniele Luchetti on the set of Dove non mi hai portata (© Jarno Iotti)
Shooting is underway between Rome, Milan, Abruzzo and Friuli Venezia Giulia on Dove non mi hai portata, the new film by Daniele Luchetti, based on Maria Grazia Calandrone’s novel of the same name which was a finalist for the 2023 Strega Prize.
The cast stars Tecla Insolia (awarded the Best Actress David di Donatello trophy for The Art of Joy and recently seen in Primavera), Margherita Buy (the winner of seven David di Donatello awards, including one for My Mother, and recently seen in Dieci minuti), Alessandro Preziosi (Loose Cannons and recently seen in Portobello – The Fall of Enzo Tortora) and Marcello Fonte (crowned Best Actor in Cannes for Dogman), alongside Nicola Rignanese, Sara Ciocca (The Boy With Pink Pants), Chiara Bersani and Francesca De Sapio.
Having presented Trust in IFFR’s Big Screen Competition in 2024, the director is once again tackling a literary adaptation, bringing an autobiographical memoir published by Giulio Einaudi Editore to the big screen, revolving around the themes of roots, motherhood and identity.
Set between the past and the present, Dove non mi hai portata is based on a true story: in 1965, a baby who is just a few months old is found abandoned in Villa Borghese, in Rome. That child is Maria Grazia who, as an adult, embarks on a journey to reconstruct her family history and the life of Lucia, her young mother who left her in order to pursue her dream of a different existence, defying the constraints imposed by society at that time. Through memories, silences and secrets, the film intertwines the protagonist’s personal journey with a reflection on the meaning of motherhood and the search for one’s roots.
The screenplay is written by Luchetti himself, together with Laura Paolucci and Francesco Piccolo, the former two reuniting after previously teaming up on the third season of My Brilliant Friend, and Piccolo joining forces with the director for the third consecutive time after The Ties and Trust. Cinematography is by Ivan Casalgrandi, editing by France’s Aël Dallier Vega (who also edited Atlantics), production design comes courtesy of Mauro Vanzati and costumes are the work of Massimo Cantini Parrini (awarded six David di Donatello trophies, the latest of which for The Flood).
For the record, Luchetti has previously participated in major festivals, such as Cannes (selected in competition via Our Life, which earned Elio Germano the Best Actor award, and The Yes Man, starring Nanni Moretti, and showcased in the Un Certain Regard section via My Brother Is An Only Child and his debut film Domani accadrà), and Venice (selected in competition with I piccoli maestri and out of competition with The Ties).
Dove non mi hai portata is being produced by Domenico Procacci and Laura Paolucci for Fandango, in co-production with Vision Distribution and Spain’s BTeam Prods, with support from the Italian Ministry of Culture’s Film and Audiovisual Investment Development Fund. Vision Distribution will release the film in Italian cinemas, as well as handling international sales in collaboration with Fandango Sales, while exclusive rights for France are entrusted to Fandango Sales.
(Translated from Italian)
