''The Raffle'' ( it, La riffa) is a 1991 Italian comedy-drama film written and directed by Francesco Laudadio. It marked the film debut of

Monica Bellucci Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model, modelling for Dolce & Gabbana and Dior, before making a transition to Italian films and later American and French f ...

Plot

In Bari, Italy, Francesca, a beautiful and wealthy woman, is widowed and left with her daughter Giulia, and a pile of debts incurred by her husband Maurizio, whose betrayals she also discovers. On the advice of her friend Cesare, who is also a lawyer, Francesca sells off her villa by the sea, furniture, furs and jewelry, as well as a boat (which Cesare buys), to pay for at least one year of rent, and the tuition for little Giulia's exclusive school. There are no job prospects for Francesca, so Francesca and Cesare decide to hold a raffle in which the prize will be Francesca. The raffle will be limited to twenty participants, who will each pay 100 million lire. The winner will have the right to live with Francesca for four years and can ask for whatever he wants. Raffle ticket buyers include friends of the late husband and Cesare himself. One day, Francesca runs over a young man, Antonio, with whom she begins a love affair. He seems to know about the raffle and, despite proclaiming his amorous passion, he would be willing for her to be enjoyed by the winner, continuing his secret meetings with her. In reality, the penniless young man aims over time to benefit from the raffle money. A few days before the raffle drawing, however, the prosecutor receives a complaint about the raffle and the lawyer. The lawyer's office is searched, and a scandal threatens that could disturb local society. When questioned by the police, Francesca does not deny the story of the raffle, but says that the prize is actually the boat purchased by Cesare and the friends have mobilized to help her and the child. To avoid a scandal, the commissioner accepts this story, after which Francesca takes a plane and leaves forever, living off the raffle money.

Cast

as Francesca *

Giulio Scarpati Giulio Scarpati (born 20 February 1956) is an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Rome, pretty active on stage, after several small film roles Scarpati had his breakout role in 1991 as Marco, the main character in the Giuseppe Piccioni's dra ...

as Antonio *

Massimo Ghini Massimo Ghini (born 12 October 1954) is an Italian actor. Life He has worked with Franco Zeffirelli, Giorgio Strehler, Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, and Gabriele Lavia, among others. He has been married to actress Nancy Brilli, and is the father ...

as Cesare * as Enrico * Sandra Collodel as Carla * Christina Engelhardt as Barbara * Tiziana Pini as Camilla *

Marino Masé Marino Masè (21 March 1939 – 28 May 2022) was an Italian actor who appeared in more than 70 films. Life Masè was born in Trieste on 21 March 1939. While still a teenager, he joined the laboratory for young actors of the production company ...

Renato Scarpa Renato Scarpa (14 September 1939 – 30 December 2021) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 85 films from 1969 to 2019. Scarpa died on 30 December 2021, at the age of 82. Selected filmography * '' St. Michael Had a Rooster'' (1972) * '' ...

Paolo De Vita Paolo De Vita (born 29 June 1957) is an Italian film and television actor. Born in Bari, he debuted on television in 1984 with the TV series ''Aeroporto internazionale'' (International Airport), followed by the 1985 miniseries ''Un siciliano in ...

Maurizio Sciarra Maurizio Sciarra (born 15 April 1955) is an Italian film director. Awards He was awarded the Golden Leopard at the 2001 Locarno International Film Festival for ''Off to the Revolution by a 2CV ''Off to the Revolution by a 2CV'' ( it, Alla ri ...

as Lawyer Di Cillo (uncredited)

References

External links

* 1991 films 1991 comedy-drama films 1990s Italian films 1990s Italian-language films Films directed by Francesco Laudadio Films set in Apulia Films shot in Apulia Italian comedy-drama films {{1990s-comedy-drama-film-stub