''Long Live Freedom'' ( it, Viva la libertà) is a 2013

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by

Roberto Andò Roberto Andò (born 11 January 1959) is an Italian director, screenwriter, playwright and author. Life and career Born in Palermo, Andò debuted as assistant director, working with Francis Ford Coppola, Federico Fellini, Michael Cimino and F ...

. It won the

Nastro d'Argento for Best Screenplay The ''Nastro d'Argento'' (Silver Ribbon) is a film award assigned each year, since 1948, by ''Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani'', the association of Italian film critics. History The union of film journalists was found ...

and the

David di Donatello for Best Script The David di Donatello Award for Best Screenplay ( Italian: ''David di Donatello per la migliore sceneggiatura'') was a film award presented by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano (ACI, ''Academy of Italian Cinema'') to recognize outstanding scre ...

and the

David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actor The David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actor ( it, David di Donatello per il migliore attore non protagonista) is a film award presented by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano (ACI, ''Academy of Italian Cinema'') to recognize the outstandi ...

Valerio Mastandrea Valerio Mastandrea (born 14 February 1972) is an Italian film, stage and television actor. Life and career He was born in Rome. While being a student of philosophy, in the early 1990s Mastandrea enjoyed some success thanks to the semi-regular pa ...

Plot

Enrico Oliveri is a shrewd, experienced politician, a senator and party leader of the center-left whose career is in decline. His party is currently in opposition and by all projections is headed for another defeat in the upcoming elections. Members of his party want to dump him. Suffering depression and exhaustion, he decides to disappear for a while, hiding incognito in Paris, France at the home of a former lover, Danielle, who is now married to a famous film director by whom she has a school-age daughter. Panic ensues among Oliveri's political intimates when they discover his disappearance. His right-hand man, Andrea Bottini, does not lose faith, but instead gets the idea of secretly substituting Oliveri's twin brother, Giovanni Ernani, an over-the-top writer and philosopher who has previously spent time in mental health care and is still medicated. Complications ensue, but the substitute proves more outgoing, more visionary, and much more popular with the press, the public and even with his competitors than his more serious brother, and he leads the party towards victory. The real senator rediscovers himself while watching his brother's success from afar through the French newspapers as he himself dallies in the arms of lovers. Enrico Oliveri eventually returns to Rome, but the film ends in ambiguity.

Context

The backdrop of the film is the depiction of a despair bordering on self-loathing of much of the Italian electorate at Italian economic conditions and the austerity regimen imposed by the European Union. A "Chancellor" obviously intended to be

Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Opp ...

appears in the film without being named. While some have found the film somewhat lightweight, an extended quotation from Berthold Brecht placed in the mouth of the mad brother reveals the director's intent: when politicians and political institutions fail, only the spirit and individual efforts of the people can rescue a nation from crisis.

Cast

* Toni Servillo: Enrico Oliveri/Giovanni Ernani *

: Andrea Bottini * Valeria Bruni Tedeschi: Danielle *

Michela Cescon Michela Cescon (born 13 April 1971) is an Italian actress. Her film credits include '' Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy'', ''Salty Air'', '' Viva la libertà'', '' Quando sei nato non puoi più nasconderti'', '' First Love'' and ''Tulpa ...

: Anna * Anna Bonaiuto: Evelina Pileggi * Eric Nguyen: Mung * Judith Davis: Mara * Andrea Renzi: De Bellis * Massimo De Francovich: President of Republic *

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) * '' ...

: Arrighi *

Gianrico Tedeschi Gianrico Tedeschi (20 April 1920 – 27 July 2020) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Life and career Born in Milan in April 1920, Tedeschi got a degree in pedagogy before enrolling at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art, wh ...

: Furlan

Production and Distribution

The movie was produced by BiBi Film and RAI Cinema. The post-production was carried out by Reset VFX S.r.l.. The distribution of the movie is by 01 Distribution.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Viva la liberta 2013 films Italian comedy-drama films 2013 comedy-drama films Films directed by Roberto Andò