Acclaimed Italian filmmaker Edoardo De Angelis is returning to the Lido with his new feature film, “Il Fuoco Che Ti Porti Dentro“, which has been officially selected to compete in the main competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The festival will host the world premiere of the intense domestic drama as it contends for the prestigious Golden Lion.
“Il Fuoco Che Ti Porti Dentro“
Adapted from the acclaimed memoir-novel of the same name by Antonio Franchini, “Il Fuoco Che Ti Porti Dentro” examines the volatile, complex bond between a mother and son. The narrative follows Antonio (played by Lino Musella), a man who fled his native Naples years ago to build a successful career and family in Milan. However, his structured life is upended during Christmas Eve when his mother, Angela (Vanessa Scalera), arrives to visit and shows no intention of leaving.
Angela is an overbearing, impossibly hostile, yet strangely magnetic matriarch whose presence turns the holiday dinner into a fierce emotional battleground. As a stubborn capon refuses to cook in the pot and uninvited guests disrupt the evening, the dinner devolves into a tense reckoning between mother and son. The confrontation unearths decades of resentment, class anxieties, and unhealed wounds, capturing an enduring love that burns like an unquenchable internal fire.
De Angelis directed the film from a screenplay co-written with Francesco Piccolo and Ilaria Macchia. The ensemble cast features Vanessa Scalera and Lino Musella alongside Elena Radonicich, Ivana Lotito, Nicole Malaj, Samuele Mazza, Tony Laudadio, and Tommaso Ragno. The production is backed by Picomedia and Rai Cinema, with 01 Distribution releasing the film in Italian theaters.
For De Angelis, who previously opened the 80th Venice International Film Festival with his historical naval drama “Comandante”, “Il Fuoco Che Ti Porti Dentro” marks a return to Venice. At the 83rd edition, he will compete alongside a formidable slate of international filmmakers, including Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard”, Florian Zeller’s “Bunker”, Casey Affleck’s “Company”, Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine”, and Marco Bechis’s “Ritorno a Buenos Aires”.
From Naples to Venice
Born in Naples, Italy, De Angelis will turn 48 on August 31, 2026. The 83rd Venice International Film Festival will run from September 2-12, 2016 in Venice, Italy.
Venice and Naples represent the ultimate study in Italian contrasts—the serene, canal-laced queen of the Adriatic in the north, and the fiery, Vesuvius-shadowed coastal metropolis in the south. Yet beyond their geographic rivalry, the two historic powers share deep cultural and artistic ties that helped forge modern Italian identity.
During the Renaissance and Baroque eras, both maritime powerhouses dominated Mediterranean trade, developing distinct artistic and musical traditions that continually influenced one another. The world of Italian theater and opera flourished through this dynamic connection: while Venice established Europe’s first public opera houses, Naples refined the operatic form through its influential Neapolitan School. The traditions of Commedia dell’arte also bridged the regions, bringing iconic Venetian characters into theatrical dialogue with Neapolitan street archetypes like Pulcinella.
In modern times, high-speed rail lines seamlessly connect Venice’s tranquil lagoons to the bustling Bay of Naples in just over five hours. This direct link allows travelers to experience the full spectrum of Italian heritage—moving from Venetian Gothic majesty to Neapolitan culinary passion and volcanic landscapes. Together, Venice and Naples embody the dual soul of Italy: equal parts maritime elegance and vibrant southern warmth.
Leave a Reply