Paolo Strippoli continues his journey into genre cinema following A Classic Horror Story and Piove with La Valle dei Sorrisi, set in Remis, a mysterious hidden village in a valley between mountains that simultaneously isolate and protect its inhabitants. The inhabitants here are all unusually happy. It seems like the perfect destination for the new PE teacher Sergio Rossetti (Michele Riondino), haunted by a mysterious past. Through an encounter with Michela, the owner of the village inn (Romana Maggiora Vergano), he finds out that a disturbing ritual lies behind this apparent serenity: one night a week, the villagers gather to embrace Matteo Corbin (Giulio Feltri), a teenager who can absorb the pain of others. Sergio's attempt to save Matteo awakens the darker side of the boy known as the Angel of Remis.
Filming took place in Friuli Venezia Giulia (August - October 2024) in Pontebba, Tarvisio, Malborghetto, Valbruna, and, for the first time since becoming incorporated into the region, in Sappada.
A crew of 80 people was present in the region for six weeks of filming, plus weeks of preparation with a reduced crew, a 42-day stay in Friuli Venezia Giulia, over 20 local workers, and 500 extras, including adults, children, and special extras.
The director says he discovered seventeen-year-old Diego Nardini, who plays the key role of Lorenzo, at a skateboard park in Udine.
Awarded the Solinas Award for Best Story (2019), the screenplay was written by Milo Tissone, Jacopo del Giudice, and Paolo Strippoli. Credits include photography by Cristiano Di Nicola, production design by Marcello Di Carlo, costumes by Susanna Mastroianni, editing by Federico Palmerini, original music by Federico Bisozzi and Davide Tomat.
Paolo Strippoli continues his journey into genre cinema following A Classic Horror Story and Piove with La Valle dei Sorrisi, set in Remis, a mysterious hidden village in a valley between mountains that simultaneously isolate and protect its inhabitants. The inhabitants here are all unusually happy. It seems like the perfect destination for the new PE teacher Sergio Rossetti (Michele Riondino), haunted by a mysterious past. Through an encounter with Michela, the owner of the village inn (Romana Maggiora Vergano), he finds out that a disturbing ritual lies behind this apparent serenity: one night a week, the villagers gather to embrace Matteo Corbin (Giulio Feltri), a teenager who can absorb the pain of others. Sergio's attempt to save Matteo awakens the darker side of the boy known as the Angel of Remis.
Filming took place in Friuli Venezia Giulia (August - October 2024) in Pontebba, Tarvisio, Malborghetto, Valbruna, and, for the first time since becoming incorporated into the region, in Sappada.
A crew of 80 people was present in the region for six weeks of filming, plus weeks of preparation with a reduced crew, a 42-day stay in Friuli Venezia Giulia, over 20 local workers, and 500 extras, including adults, children, and special extras.
The director says he discovered seventeen-year-old Diego Nardini, who plays the key role of Lorenzo, at a skateboard park in Udine.
Awarded the Solinas Award for Best Story (2019), the screenplay was written by Milo Tissone, Jacopo del Giudice, and Paolo Strippoli. Credits include photography by Cristiano Di Nicola, production design by Marcello Di Carlo, costumes by Susanna Mastroianni, editing by Federico Palmerini, original music by Federico Bisozzi and Davide Tomat.
Fandango, Nightswim, Spok Films, Vision Distribution
Remis is a small village hidden in an isolated mountain valley. Its inhabitants are all unusually happy. It seems like the perfect destination for the new PE teacher Sergio Rossetti, haunted by a mysterious past. Thanks to an encounter with Michela, owner of the village inn, he finds out that a disturbing ritual lies behind this apparent serenity: one night a week, the townspeople gather to embrace Matteo Corbin, a teenager capable of absorbing the pain of others. Sergio's attempt to save Matteo awakens the darker side of the boy known as the Angel of Remis.
