02/10/2025 - Also starring Teresa Saponangelo, Alessandro Aronadio’s movie tells the true story of a little boy caring for his dad who has Alzheimer’s, and is set to screen in Rome Film Fest

In 2021, an 11-year-old boy called Mattia Piccoli was named “Standard Bearer of the Republic” by President Sergio Mattarella for “the love and care he shows while tending to his father’s illness”.  This story celebrating the power of love over time and memory has been transformed into a film directed by director and screenwriter Alessandro Aronadio, entitled Per te. It will be presented in a premiere within the Grand Public section of the 20th Rome Film Fest, as well as in the 23rd edition of Alice nella Città, before hitting Italian cinemas on 17 October. The movie tells the story of Mattia and his dad, Paolo, who at just forty years of age, is slowly starting to lose fragments of his memory to Alzheimer’s. As the world begins to fade away, Paolo decides to stay close to what really matters, further buoyed by the love of his wife, Michela. With his son by his side, he sets out on a journey of shared everyday realities, unexpected laughter, and silences which speak louder than words.

This is Aronadio’s fifth feature film after One Life Maybe Two [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which was presented in the Berlinale’s Panorama line-up; Ears [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alessandro Aronadio
film profile], which triumphed in the 2016 Venice Film Festival’s Biennale College; Just Believe [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], and Still Time [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which was selected in Rome Film Fest’s Grand Public section.

The Piccoli family is played by Edoardo Leo (an actor, director and screenwriter who previously appeared in Aronadio’s Still Time and Just Believe, as well as in Perfect Strangers [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and I Can Quit Whenever I Want [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sydney Sibilia
film profile], and who was awarded the Young David for Noi e la Giulia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and seen this year in Madly [+see also:
film review
film profile]) and Teresa Saponangelo (handed a David di Donatello trophy for her part in The Hand of God [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paolo Sorrentino
film profile] and seen this year in Andrea’s Island [+see also:
film review
film profile]), alongside newcomer Javier Francesco Leoni stepping into the shoes of little Mattia. The cast also stars Giorgio Montanini, Eleonora Giovanardi, Guia Jelo and Daniele Parisi.

The film’s subject and screenplay were penned by the director himself in league with Ivano Fachin and Renato Sannio. Photography was entrusted to Andrea Reitano, editing to Roberto di Tanna, set design was curated by Massimiliano Sturiale and Pietro Satiro, and costumes by Cristina La Parola. The original score comes courtesy of Santi Pulvirenti.

Per te was produced by Andrea Calbucci and Maurizio Piazza on behalf of Lungta Film and by Massimiliano Orfei, Luisa Borella and Davide Novelli for PiperFilm, together with Alea Film in collaboration with Netflix. The film will be released in Italian cinemas on 17 October, distributed by PiperFilm.

(Translated from Italian)