“The promises you make at eighteen either last a day or a lifetime.” And as strange as it sounds, “forever” can be consumed on a Saturday night. That’s how “Cena di classe” begins, one of the most beloved songs by Pinguini Tattici Nucleari, which inspired Francesco Mandelli’s bittersweet ensemble comedy, arriving in theaters March 26 with Medusa.
The film, built around a close-knit ensemble cast including Andrea Pisani, Beatrice Arnera, Roberto Lipari, Herbert Ballerina, Annandrea Vitrano, Giulia Vecchio, Nicola Nocella, Francesco Russo, and Giovanni Esposito, is Mandelli’s most mature work to date as a director.
“This film was a challenge for me from the start, beginning with the idea of creating a film from a song,” Mandelli explained to ANSA. “And then because, as my partner also told me, I had the opportunity to show other aspects of myself. Our work is made up of characters; people probably place you on a certain shelf and that’s what they wish from you. This time I had the opportunity to do something that had different tones, more similar to this moment in my life. There are more emotions inside me that I want to express than just the high spirits that might have been present 15 years ago.”
The Story
The film (produced by Roadmovie with Medusa), which interweaves two timelines and references various cult classics of the genre, revisits many of the characters present in the song – former high school classmates now in their thirties, reunited 17 years after graduation for the funeral of Pozzi (Mandelli), the group’s former filmmaker, who documented their dreams and hopes as teenagers. Among them are Bonelli (Pisani), who dreamed of being a musician and became a funeral home director; the seemingly idyllic couple of Marco (Lipari) and Laura (Vitrano), still together; Nané (Arnera), a successful lawyer with a troubled private life; Gemma (Vecchio), who faced an important choice shortly after high school; the unpredictable “daddy’s boy” Michael (Ballerina); the sensitive Alex (Nocella), who has lost his way after some personal and professional setbacks; and Romeo (Russo), tired of being ignored by others.
The dinner that concludes the day, to which they also invite their favorite janitor, Nando (Esposito), who is widowed, sets off a tragicomic night when the group unknowingly consumes a substance that sends them spiraling. The former classmates descend into chaos at their old school, and in a rhythm of storytelling that ranges from slapstick to tragicomedy to dramedy, pranks, revelry (including the disappearance of Pozzi’s coffin), revelations, disillusionment, emergencies, and new beginnings unfold.
“The idea of the initial funeral (which recalls a cult film like ‘The Big Chill,’) actually comes from an experience Francesco had – a class dinner after the death of a former high school friend,” said Lipari. “From there came the question that launches the story: ‘If everything ended tomorrow, what life would we have lived?’ In my generation, we’ve always been invested in inspirational role models, like Messi, who became a myth by overcoming so many adversities. But there are also a million aspiring Messis who haven’t been able to achieve what they wanted, because wanting isn’t always enough. People who are now frustrated and maybe perceive guilty, thinking they didn’t try hard enough… we wanted to talk about them.”
To coincide with the release of “Cena di Classe” in theaters on March 26, the video for the song, which is a true generational anthem from the band’s 2022 album “Fake News” (Five Platinum Discs), has been released. The video, produced by Roadmovie, alternates between images from the film and the band’s live performance, showcasing Italy’s leading musical act.
The film’s soundtrack, by Riccardo Zanotti and Marco Paganelli (Sony Music), will also be released on March 27. It features all instrumental tracks except for “We Failed,” which features vocals from young artist Lysa, a nostalgic song that unfolds through imagery and explores a melancholic and ephemeral existential theme: the illusions everyone has while in school.
The Track List
Qui si fa la storia
We Failed
Poesia Tagliata
Do you really wanna know?
Tra i Corridoi
Ricordo
Irruzione
Romeo Bugiardo
Marisa
Bolla
