EL PARAÍSO
A film by Enrico Maria Artale
Through salsa and merengue dance nights, shared memories, and limited earnings working for a local drug dealer, Julio Cesar and his mother struggle to maintain their love-filled but oppressive lifestyle. The arrival of Ines, an attractive young Colombian drug mule, threatens to unsettle their tenuous stability.
Best Actress, Best Screenplay & Young Cinema Award at Venice Orizzonti 2023.
Status: Completed
Year: 2023
Genre: Drama
Country: Italy
Language: Italian, Spanish
Available subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Turkish, Dutch
Runtime: 106 minutes
Original title: El paraíso
Enrico Maria Artale (Rome, 1984) graduated in Film Aesthetics and Directing from the Italian National Film School (Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia).
He has written and directed many international prize-winning shorts. His first feature-length film, “Il terzo tempo” (The Third Half), presented in 2013 at the 70th Venice Film Festival in the Horizons section, won the Pasinetti Prize for Best First Film awarded by the SNGCI (Italian National Union of Cinema Journalists).
In the following years, he directed two documentary series for Sky Arte and made the documentary film “Saro”, winner of the prize for best Italian documentary at the 34th Turin Film Festival, and subsequently nominated for a David di Donatello in 2018. At the same time, he started to work in TV series, such as “Sanctuary” and “Romulus”.
His latest film, “El paraíso”, held its World Premiere in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival, winning the Best Actress and Best Screenplay awards.
FILMOGRAPHY
2023 El paraíso (106′)
2016 Saro (doc.) (69′)
2013 The Third Half (94′)
2011 My Bow Breathing (11′)
CAST
Edoardo Pesce
Margarita Rosa de Francisco
Maria del Rosario
Gabriel Montesi
CREW
Director: Enrico Maria Artale
Screenplay: Enrico Maria Artale
Cinematography: Francesco Di Giacomo
Editing: Valeria Sapienza
Sound: Luigi Cippone, Gianluca Scarlata
Executive Producers: Matteo Rovere, Andrea Paris, Carla Altieri, Roberto De Paolis
Production Company: Ascent Film, Young Films, Rai Cinema
2023
Venice International Film Festival | Orizzonti · Best Actress · Best Screenplay · Arca Young Cinema Award
Haifa International Film Festival | Golden Anchor Competition for Debuts
São Paulo International Film Festival | International Perspective
Cinema Made in Italy – Athens
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | Best of Festivals
ULima Film Week | International Showcase
Contemporary Italian Cinema Week in Istanbul and Ankara
2024
Santo Domingo Global Film Festival | Global View
Santa Barbara International Film Festival | International Competition
Europa! Europa Film Festival
Vilnius International Film Festival | Panorama
Uruguay International Film Festival | Panorama
Vantaa Urban Film Festival
New Italian Cinema | Poland
Festa do Cinema Italiano – Lisboa | Official Competition
MOOOV Film Festival | Official Competition
Mastercard OFF CAMERA | At the Border
European Union Film Festival – Romania
Open Roads: New Italian Cinema
Cinema Made in Italy – Copenhagen
Mediterranean Film Festival Split | Official Competition
Cinema Jove | Official Competition · Best Acting (Edoardo Pesce) · Best Director · Best Music
Sopot Film Festival | 1-2-3 GO! Main Competition
Costa Rica International Film Festival | Panorama
Burgas International Film Festival · Special Jury Mention · Youth Jury Award
Est Film Festival · Best Feature Film
Espoo Ciné Film Festival
ASUFICC – International Contemporary Film Festival of Asuncion | Panorama
Panorama du cinéma colombien (PACCPA) · Audience Award
An engrossing tale of Oedipal codependence set among Rome’s drug dealers, with brilliant performances.
Patricia Boero, The Film Veredict
An intense, unconventional, dysfunctional love story, buoyed by two strong central performances.
Nikki Baughan, Screen Daily
An emotional implosion channeled into heartful dialogues and performers who stand out.
Riccardo Baiocco, Sentieri Selvaggi