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Premiere of La città dei vivi at Venice Film Festival

Overview

Edoardo Gabbriellini’s film ‘La città dei vivi’ (The City of the Living) premiered in the Orizzonti competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. Inspired by Nicola Lagioia’s novel regarding the 2016 murder and torture of 23-year-old Luca Varani in Rome, the film adopts a cinematic approach that differs from the source material.

While the original book explored the perspectives of the killers, Gabbriellini shifts the focus to the victim. The narrative centers on Varani’s life, his relationships, and his family—including his adoptive parents, played by Valerio Mastandrea and Simona Senzacqua—rather than the specific details of the crime. The director intends to present a coming-of-age story interrupted by senseless violence, aiming to avoid ‘judicial voyeurism’ to highlight the victim's social and emotional fragilities. The cast also includes Emanuele Maria Di Stefano as Luca Varani and Gaia Merlonghi.

Nicola Lagioia expressed appreciation for the adaptation, noting that the director successfully reversed the perspective to ‘illuminate the victim's humanity.’

Following its festival debut, the production faced controversy when screenwriters Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo withdrew their names from the credits, citing disagreements with the director’s stylistic direction.

The film was released in Italian cinemas on October 1. Lead actor Emanuele Maria Di Stefano has discussed the film’s avoidance of sensationalism, noting that the production focuses on the personal lives of the victim and the senseless nature of the crime. Di Stefano also addressed the film’s use of the ‘f-word’ to describe the perpetrators, explaining it was used by the victim's girlfriend to reflect her shock and to address societal misconceptions regarding the relationship between the killers.

Entities

Edoardo Gabbriellini · Luca Varani · Nicola Lagioia · Venice International Film Festival · Eagle Pictures

Timeline

  1. [CULTURE] 2 sources
    La Città Dei Vivi film released in cinemas

    The film ‘La Città Dei Vivi’, directed by Edoardo Gabbriellini, has released in theaters, dramatizing the 2016 murder of Luca Varani while focusing on the human elements of the tragedy.

  2. [CULTURE] 17 sources
    La città dei vivi film premieres at Venice Film Festival

    Edoardo Gabbriellini’s film ‘La città dei vivi’ premiered at the Venice Film Festival, adapting Nicola Lagioia’s novel to focus on the life of murder victim Luca Varani rather than his killers.

  3. [CULTURE] 2 sources
    Edoardo Gabbriellini’s film ‘La città dei vivi’ to debut at Venice Film Festival

    Edoardo Gabbriellini’s film ‘La città dei vivi’, inspired by Nicola Lagioia’s novel about the 2016 murder of Luca Varani, will premiere in the Orizzonti section at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.

  4. [CULTURE] 3 sources
    Edoardo Gabbriellini's 'The City of the Living' trailer unveiled ahead of Venice Orizzonti debut

    Trailer released for Edoardo Gabbriellini’s *The City of the Living*, based on Nicola Lagioia’s novel about Luca Varani’s 2016 murder; will debut in Venice’s Orizzonti competition and open in Italy on 1 Oct, co

Sources

adginforma.it · askanews.it · badtaste.it · biccy.it · bookciakmagazine.it · cineblog.it · cinelapsus.com · close-up.it · deadlinehollywooddaily.com · emmepress.com · iltempo.it · iodonna.it · movieplayer.it · moviestruckers.it · napolinelcinema.it · nordest24.it · quotidiano.net · shockwavemagazine.it · solomente.it · teamlease.com · unionesarda.it · vagabunda.mx · vanityfair.it · vogue.it

This summary has been updated 5 times: see revision history