Filming is under way on 40 secondi, based on the tragic case of Willy Monteiro Duarte
- Inspired by journalist Federica Angeli’s book, Vincenzo Alfieri’s new film is produced and distributed by Eagle Pictures
Monday 16 June saw filming commence in Rome on 40 secondi, Vincenzo Alfieri’s new movie based on the tragic story of Willy Monteiro Duarte, a young Cape Verdean who was killed in Collferro near Rome on 6 September 2020 after intervening to defend a friend during an argument. The film is being produced by Eagle Pictures, the same production house behind The Boy with Pink Pants [+see also:
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Written by Vincenzo Alfieri (who directed Il corpo [+see also:
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making of
film profile]), in collaboration with Giuseppe Stasi, the screenplay is loosely based on the book 40 secondi. Willy Monteiro Duarte. La luce del coraggio and il buio della violenza by journalist Federica Angeli, published by Baldini+Castoldi. It tells the story of an argument over a simple misunderstanding which turns into a shockingly violent beating of which Willy Monteiro Duarte is the victim, resulting in the 21-year-old being killed within the space of 40 seconds. The film covers the 24 hours preceding the tragic event where casual encounters, rivalries and underlying tensions interweave, in a journey into the banality of evil, investigating human nature and its influences. Willy’s death stirred up strong public debate around social difficulties amongst young people and gratuitous violence, drawing attention to pressing issues such as integration, mutual respect and the need to value second generation immigrants in Italian society. Brothers Marco and Gabriele Bianchi were eventually found guilty of Willy’s murder, the former sentenced to life and the latter to 28 years in prison.
The cast stars Francesco Gheghi (awarded the Orizzonti Prize for Best Actor via Familia [+see also:
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interview: Mario Martone
interview: Pierfrancesco Favino
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interview: Carlo Sironi
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series profile] and awarded the 2024 Nastro d‘Argento for his part in Romeo è Giulietta). The director and production team opted for attentive street casting to find their protagonists, with the aim of placing professional actors next to a few new faces – including Giordano Giansanti and Luca Petrini – in order to preserve the authenticity of the story.
Filming will unfold over seven weeks in Rome and the surrounding area. 40 secondi will hit Italian cinemas on 20 November 2025 via Eagle Pictures.
(Translated from Italian)
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