Overview
- The film premiered at the 79th Locarno Film Festival on Saturday and drew immediate positive notices from critics, with Variety praising Giovanni Tortorici’s direction and Monica Bellucci’s performance.
- Ketticè is written and directed by Tortorici and stars nonprofessional leads Salvatore Gallina and Rachele Testagrossa, who were found through extensive street casting to create a raw, naturalistic feel.
- Set in Palermo in 2012, the story follows two 16-year-olds from sharply different social backgrounds whose exclusive friendship and drug use expose class tensions and a generational disconnect.
- Monica Bellucci plays Giulio’s aristocratic mother, a role she and reviewers highlighted for conveying frustrated, performative social roles that widen the gap between adults and youth.
- Producer-mentor Luca Guadagnino has backed Tortorici’s sophomore feature, and PiperPlay’s appointment to handle international sales signals the film’s festival-to-market strategy and likely further festival bookings and distribution talks.