At the Cannes Marché du Film this year (14-22 May), Roman-based sales agent TVCO is presenting the restored 4K version of The Gates of Heaven, an unreleased film by maestro Vittorio De Sica, which was shot in 1945.

The restoration was carried out by the CSC – National Film Library and the Officina Cultura e Territorio Association, in conjunction with Azione Cattolica Italiana, and promoted by UniNettuno’s CAST International Research Centre, with support from ISACEM at Rome’s Cinecittà lab.

The storyline of The Gates of Heaven follows a white train carrying sick pilgrims to Loreto, in the Marche, in search of a miracle to cure them. Some of the passengers are Cristiano, a paralysed boy, along with his friend Maria; Elettra, an old lady who wishes to rekindle the happiness of her landlord’s children; Giovanni, a wealthy business owner with grandchildren interested in their inheritance; and Massimo, a blind labourer. In Naples, a paralysed pianist gets on, looking for a last resort. The long voyage will transform many of their lives, giving them fresh hope. The cast includes María Mercader, Giuseppe Forcina, Roldano Lupi, Marina Berti and Massimo Girotti.

“First unveiled at the Rome Film Fest in 2022, the film is now ready to begin its distribution journey,” says Simonetta Polese, of TVCO. “Already right from the first few days of the market, the film has been piquing the interest of buyers from various territories, including Spain, the USA, France, Scandinavia and Japan,” she added.

The movie will be distributed alongside a medium-length documentary produced by Officina della Comunicazione, titled Argento puro and helmed by Matteo Ceccarelli. It tells the fascinating story of the film’s production and the restoration of the work, and brings together a plethora of contributions, including that of the director’s son, actor Christian De Sica.