her husband suffering from early Alzheimer’s

Applause and tears for the premiere of the film about the family of Paolo Piccoli from Concordia Sagittaria. An evening of great emotion experienced at the Rome Film Festival, where it was previewed “For you“, the new film by Alessandro Aronadio with Edoardo Leo and Teresa Saponangelo, inspired by the true story of the Piccoli family of Concordia Sagittaria. The film tells the story of Paolo Piccoli54 years old, struck ten years ago by early Alzheimer’s, and his family, capable of transforming a devastating diagnosis into a universal message of love, hope and resilience.

While the images of their story scrolled on the big screen, the real Piccoli family was in the room, amidst applause and emotion. «I knew about the screenplay, which is fictionalized. Paolo tried in every way to defeat the disease, in an unequal fight. Watching the film was exciting. And when I saw Edoardo in his bathrobe, I thought I was seeing my husband. Tears fell on me and my children and I saw everyone emotional”, said Michela Morutto, Paolo’s wife. Michela’s words contain the profound meaning of the project: a film which, although inspired by the real experience of the family, tells a universal story, capable of touching anyone’s heart.

RESPONSIBILITY

Director Alessandro Aronadio, who returns to the Rome Film Festival after “Era Ora” and “Io c’è”, explained: «I felt a great responsibility, but I didn’t want to limit myself to telling the pain of a single family. I tried to convey a broader truth, the one that belongs to all of us.” For this reason, Aronadio chose not to immediately meet the members of the Piccoli family, so as to write a free story, not a faithful chronicle, but an authentic and human story. Edoardo Leo, Paolo’s interpreter, explained that he felt “kidnapped” by the power of the story. «It was all there: the time that passes away, the memory that is lost, the love that remains. We prepared it as if it were our last film, with total dedication.” Alongside him, Teresa Saponangelo plays the role of Michela, a courageous wife and mother. «A diagnosis like this changes everything. Michela must reinvent family life and build, day after day, a new memory for herself and her children” said the actress, who chose to play the role with great delicacy and emotional truth. In the role of little Mattia, the son of the Piccoli, the young Javier Leoni, in his debut as a protagonist. «It’s a difficult story but full of love. I liked the idea of ​​playing Mattia, a strong boy, full of affection for his father.” The director’s stylistic choices, from the colors to the music, accompany the story with grace and sensitivity. The soundtrack, which alternates jazz songs with Italian melodies, culminates with “Mi sei burst inside the heart” by Mina, a symbolic and “deeply Italian” choice, as Aronadio himself explained.

EMOTION

During the press conference, producers Andrea Calbucci and Massimiliano Orfei said they immediately perceived the strength of the project: «It’s a story that simply tells you: “I’ll be there”. Whatever happens, I’ll be there. It is a universal message, which goes beyond any stylistic feature.” The film, greeted with long applause, thrilled the public and the press. Mattia Piccoli, son of Paolo and Michela, also wanted to share his gratitude: “It was strange to see our life on the screen, but if it can help other people like us, then it was worth it.” An evening that will remain in the hearts of many: while in Rome the family experienced the magic of cinema and the embrace of the public, in Concordia Sagittaria Paolo’s friends dedicated a small party to him for his birthday, in an atmosphere of affection and gratitude.