07/06/2023 - The Oscar-winning director is bringing a previously unreleased story by Federico Fellini and Tullio Pinelli to the big screen, starring Pierfrancesco Favino, Dea Lanzaro and Antonio Guerra

Actors Pierfrancesco Favino, Dea Lanzaro, Antonio Guerra and director Gabriele Salvatores on the set of Napoli – New York

Shooting is now underway on Napoli – New York, the new film directed by Gabriele Salvatores, who’s already back behind the cameras after bringing his previous film Casanova’s Return [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] to cinemas in late March this year. The screenplay for Napoli – New York was penned by the director himself, based on an unreleased story written in a neorealistic vein in the latter half of the Forties by Federico Fellini, before he became a director, alongside his inseparable friend and collaborator Tullio Pinelli.

In the immediate post-war period, amidst the ruins of a Naples bowed by misery, little ones Carmine and Celestina try to survive as best they can, helping one another along the way. One night, they steal onto a ship headed for New York with the aim of living with Celestina’s sister who emigrated many years previously. The two children join the many other Italian emigrants seeking their fortune in America and arrive in an unknown metropolis which, after countless ups and downs, they’ll learn to call home.

Pierfrancesco Favino (recently seen at the Berlinale in The Last Night of Amore [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andrea Di Stefano
film profile] and soon to grace Comandante [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] and Adagio) is entrusted with the role of the quartermaster who helps the two children on their epic journey from one side of the Atlantic to the other, while the latter are played by Dea Lanzaro and Antonio Guerra. The cast also includes Anna Ammirati (recently seen in La notte più lunga dell'anno [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Anna Lucia Pierro, alongside American actors Omar Benson Miller (of the series CSI: Miami and Ballers) and Tomas Arana (L.A. Confidential, Gladiator), and Antonio Catania (recently seen in Casanova’s Return and Evelyne In the Cloud [+see also:
trailer
film profile]).

The film shoot will last twelve weeks, unfolding between Naples, Trieste, Rijeka and the Cinecittà studios. Photography is entrusted to Diego Indraccolo, set design to Rita Rabassini, costumes to Patrizia Chericoni, music to Federico De Robertis, and editing to Julien Panzarasa, with visual effects supervision falling to Victor Perez.

Napoli – New York is produced by Isabella Cocuzza and Arturo Paglia on behalf of Paco Cinematografica together with RAI Cinema, and with support from the FVG Film Commission – PromoTurismoFVG. The movie will be distributed in Italy by 01 Distribution.

As previously mentioned, the Oscar-winning director of Mediterraneo (1991) very recently presented Casanova’s Return, loosely based on Arthur Schnitzler’s story of the same name, and, before that, Comedians [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2021), which was adapted from a theatre work by English playwright Trevor Griffiths. Salvatores has also directed Volare [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (2019), as well as The Invisible Boy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gabriele Salvatores
film profile] (2014) and The Invisible Boy: Second Generation [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2018).

(Translated from Italian)