La città dei vivi film premieres at Venice Film Festival

Edoardo Gabbriellini’s film ‘La città dei vivi’ premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The film is a free adaptation of Nicola Lagioia’s acclaimed 2020 novel of the same name, which investigated the 2016 murder and torture of 23-year-old Luca Varani in Rome.

Unlike the original book, which explored the psychological depths of the perpetrators, Marco Prato and Manuel Foffo, Gabbriellini’s cinematic version shifts the focus to the victim. The narrative centers on Varani’s life, his relationships, and his search for identity before the tragedy, aiming to provide dignity to the victim rather than focusing on judicial voyeurism.

The film features a cast including Emanuele Maria Di Stefano as Luca Varani, Valerio Mastandrea and Simona Senzacqua as his parents, and Gaia Merlonghi as his girlfriend. The production was met with some controversy after screenwriters Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo withdrew their names from the credits, citing disagreements with the director’s stylistic direction. The film is scheduled for theatrical release in Italy on October 1.