(27 Aug 2025)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice, Italy – 27 August 2025
1. Medium Actor Toni Servillo leaves Excelsior hotel, and is joined by filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino, ahead of press conference
2. Wide shot Paolo Sorrentino, Toni Servillo and cast and producers of ‘La Grazia’ enter press conference
3. Wide of press conference, zoom in, UPSOUND (English) Reporter: "Last week when you were in Sarajevo, you said that you believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. Mubi has come under criticism recently for connections to Israel with some of its funding, and the Mubi CEO issued a statement recently. So my question is, has the CEO of Mubi been in contact with you about this issue, and do you have any thoughts about the funding for which Mubi has beencriticized?"
4. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Paolo Sorrentino, director/writer:
"I would like to take the opportunity to give the floor to somebody from Mubi who is actually here in the room. There is somebody from the Mubi here. Is there no one from Mubi? I can’t answer myself."
5. Wide of press conference, zoom in, UPSOUND (English) Reporter: "This is a film about a subject which is ongoing in the Italian politics, which is euthanasia. I don’t know if you have, or you expect the film to have, some impact in the current debate nowadays and should cinema have an impact on political issues, especially the ones pertaining into your country. Thank you so much."
6. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Paolo Sorrentino, director/writer:
"I think that cinema can try. It is a well-known fact that it doesn’t have the devastating impact in terms of popularity that it had in the past. But it can continue to try. It can just hope. That a film, my film in this case, can bring attention to a topic, and I’m saying something which is taken for granted, something with the topic which is so important, such as euthanasia. That’s all I can say."
7. Wide of press conference
8. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Paolo Sorrentino, director/writer – on power being a theme in his films:
"I think that I realized that from the start, when I first learned to write, relationships amongst people are always relationships of power, relationships of strength, even in amongst friends or in couples, and as I started making films, I started to realize that power relationships are even greater amongst the politicians and those who really do hold the power. I’ve always been interested in this topic. Now, in the films that I made on (Giulio) Andreotti and others, there’s a ritual of power, which is showcased. And that is a formidable way to tell the story. And again, here, we had fun with ‘La Grazia,’ even if less than in other films, because we didn’t want this film to be focused on the rituals of power per se. On the descriptive side of life in the president’s palace, we wanted to tell the story of the president’s palace as a place of solitude, to look less at the institutional clothes, if you like."
9. Wide of reporter asking question
10. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Toni Servillo, actor – on his multiple collaborations with Sorrentino and their relationship:
11. Pull out on Paolo Sorrentino and Toni Servillo at end of press conference ++PART MUTE++
STORYLINE:
Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino fielded questions on Gaza, power and euthanasia at a press conference Wednesday, ahead of the Venice Film Festival premiere of his new film, "La Grazia" – the event’s opening movie.
Sorrentino, who recently called the situation in Gaza a “genocide” was asked about Mubi, the company that is distributing his film.
"I think that cinema can try," he said.
The festival runs through Sept. 6.
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