Tommaso Landucci‘s debut feature, “I figli della scimmia” (“The Monkey’s Children“), presented at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, won the award from the Orizzonti section jury, chaired by Valérie Donzelli and made up of Peter Becker, Elizabeth Lo, Davis Pablos, and Barbara Ronchi.
The film won the award for Best Screenplay, given to the director and Damiano Femfert, and the award for Best Actor, given to Riccardo Scamarcio. On stage, the actor chose to share the award with young co-star Andrea Aggio, marking his film debut.
The title draws inspiration from an Aesop’s fable about a monkey who, having two cubs, loved and cared for only one, neglecting the other. The film, however, departs from this story. It follows Riccardo Scamarcio as a new parent coming to terms with having a disabled child, navigating the fears, expectations, and desires that come with parenthood. Rather than exploring favouritism between two real children, the film portrays a parent torn between two different kinds of “children” – the real one and the imagined one.
The project had already been showcased at MIA – the International Audiovisual Market in 2023, when it was selected for the “Wanna Taste It” section of the Film Co-Production Market, dedicated to projects still in development.
“I figli della scimmia” was made possible through funding from the Piemonte Film TV Fund, with support from Film Commission Torino Piemonte and development backing from TorinoFilmLab. The film is one of 9 titles supported by the regional audiovisual system. It is set to hit theatres on September 17, distributed by Medusa.
Photo credits: nicolas genin on Wikimedia Commons
