| Director: | Paolo Strippoli |
|---|---|
| Production: | Fandango (Domenico Procacci, Laura Paolucci), Nightswim (Ines Vasiljević, Stefano Sardo), Spok Films (Jožko Rutar) |
| Running Time: | 122’ |
| Language: | Italian |
| Country: | Italy, Slovenia |
| Main Cast: | Michele Riondino, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Paolo Pierobon, Roberto Citran, Giulio Feltri |
| Screenplay: | Jacopo Del Giudice, Paolo Strippoli, Milo Tissone |
| Cinematographer: | Cristiano Di Nicola |
| Editor: | Federico Palmerini |
| Production Designer: | Marcello Di Carlo |
| Costume Designer: | Susanna Mastroianni |
| Music: | Federico Bisozzi, Davide Toma |
| Sound: | Francesco Morosini |
| Visual Effects: | Giuseppe Squillaci |
Cinema
La valle dei sorrisi
Out of Competition
Synopsis
Remis is a small village nestled in a secluded valley in the mountains. Its inhabitants are all unusually happy. It seems the perfect destination for new PE teacher Sergio Rossetti, haunted by a mysterious past. Thanks to an encounter with Michela, the young owner of the village inn, the teacher discovers that behind the seeming peacefulness lies a disturbing ritual: one night a week, the villagers gather to hug Matteo Corbin, a teenager capable of absorbing the pain of others. Sergio’s attempt to save the young man will awaken the dark side of the man everyone calls the Angel of Remis.
Director’s Statement
La valle dei sorrisi was born from a desire to explore horror not as a simple suspense machine, but as a symbolic space for portraying the fragility of identity and the desperate need for belonging. In a seemingly idyllic community, where pain is banished and serenity is a religion, Matteo’s journey unfolds: a queer teenager as sacrificial body and, at the same time, as redeeming entity. The film is an exploration of growth as a profound transformation, but also of fatherhood as an ambiguous form of protection, control, and reflection. Paternal figures — biological, surrogate, spiritual — alternate in an attempt to fill a void. Far from the archetypes of the canonical coming-of-age, this story depicts growing up as a loss of innocence and an act of resistance. It is a film about healing love — but at what cost. About the importance of pain in our lives. And about those who have the courage not to smile.
Production/Distribution
PRODUCTION 1:
Fandango SPA - Domenico Procacci, Laura Paolucci
Viale Gorizia, 19
00198 Roma, Italia
Tel: +39 0685218111
E-mail: fandango@fandango.it
PRODUCTION 2:
Nightswim - Ines Vasiljevic, Stefano Sardo
Via Ruggero Bonghi, 34
00184 Roma, Italia
Tel: +39 3401195097
E-mail: info@nightswim.it
PRODUCTION 3:
Spok Films - Jozko Rutar
Volarje 4
5220 Tolmin, Slovenia
Tel: +386 41 378 527
E-mail: jozko.rutar@gmail.com
WORLD SALES:
Fandango Sales - Raffella Di Giulio
Viale Gorizia, 19
00198 Roma, Italia
Tel: +39 0685218106 / +39 3475248172
E-mail: sales@fandango.it
ITALIAN DISTRIBUTION:
Vision Distribution - Massimo Proietti
Via Po, 12
00198 Roma, Italia
Tel: +39 06 99585100
E-mail: info@visiondistribution.it
ITALIAN PRESS OFFICE:
Arianna Monteverdi
25128 Brescia, Italia
Tel: +39 3386182078
E-mail: arianna.monteverdi@gmail.com
PRESS OFFICE:
Michael Arnon, Gordon Spragg - WOLF Consultants
Tel: +49 178 547 0179
E-mail: hello@wolf-con.com
