An exploration of modern-day love seen “through the curious, enquiring and old-time eyes of an exceptional godfather: the great man of letters, master of seduction and expert poet of love Ovid”. This is how Il dio dell’amore presents itself, a new comedy by Francesco Lagi (the director behind Il pataffio, selected in competition in Locarno, and Almost Christmas), on which filming has just wrapped in Rome after seven weeks on set.

Stepping into the Roman poet’s shoes is Francesco Colella (of Padrenostro and recently seen in the series The Leopard), who’s joined by Benedetta Cimatti (of Un boss in salotto and the series Mussolini: Son of the Century), Corrado Fortuna (recently seen in Fuori and The Boy With Pink Pants), Vinicio Marchioni (nominated for a David di Donatello Award via 20 Cigarettes and There Is Still Tomorrow, and recently seen in Diamanti), Isabella Ragonese (nominated for four David di Donatello trophies for Our Life and Like Sheep Among Wolves, among other movies) and Vanessa Scalera (of Diamanti, Palazzina Laf, and the series This In Not Hollywood). The film also stars Anna Bellato (The Last Man on Earth, The Invention of Snow), Enrico Borello (Settembre, La città proibita), Chiara Ferrara (Another End) and Elia Nuzzolo (whose career was launched by the hit series Hanno ucciso l'Uomo Ragno - La leggendaria storia degli 883).

The film was written by Enrico Audenino (awarded two Nastri d’argento trophies for Best Original Story via Padrenostro in 2021 and Feeling Better in 2025) together with Lagi himself. Il dio dell’amore is a journey, or an exploration, through romantic relationships; a story about the sentimental destinies of a handful of people, about the ways they love one another, touch one another and come into contact with one another. It’s an ensemble tale with an ironic, cheerful yet bitter tone, depicting beings lost in the chaos of emotions which have always shaken and amazed us. The characters are all linked by loving relationships and, when seen together, all form part of an intricate design, a tapestry in which each of them is a knot, a beginning and an end. Their fate is in the hands of the God of Love, a capricious and unpredictable creature, sometimes benevolent and meek, at others fierce and bellicose. Our guide on this journey is the poet Ovid, the eternal minstrel of love who transcends sentimentalism and moralising to travel from Imperial Rome to the modern-day world to tell us this story.

Produced by Cattleya (of ITV Studios), BartlebyFilm and Vision Distribution in collaboration with Sky, the film was shot in Rome and will soon be released in Italian cinemas courtesy of Vision Distribution.