Italian director and screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino will receive the prestigious A Tribute to… Award at the 17th Zurich Film Festival. Sorrentino will receive the honorary award on Wednesday, September 29, at the Gala Premiere of his new autobiographical film The Hand of God. The festival will also screen a retrospective of Sorrentino’s work.
“I am happy and honored to receive this Award because it is always nice to be celebrated and because this recognition comes from a Festival whose mission is in the discovery of talent. Participating at the ZFF this year, with my most personal film, is very exciting for me because The Hand of God speaks also about the moment when each of us takes courage and admits to ourselves and to others that we want to try the unconscious and crazy venture of being a director”, says Sorrentino.
The Hand of God stars young actor Filippo Scotti and Sorrentino’s longtime leading man Toni Servillo. The Netflix movie is produced by The Apartment, a Fremantle Company, and began filming last September in Naples, the director’s hometown. The title refers to a legendary, albeit irregular goal by Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, who attributed his handball at the 1986 World Cup to the “hand of God”.
The film tells the story of young Fabietto, who grows up in Naples in the 1980s and witnesses the arrival of world football star Diego Maradona with great enthusiasm. Sorrentino thus creates an indulgent tragicomedy about family and the turbulence of youth, about fate, sport and love, and about the Italy of his childhood. “Though the future is right there in front of you, you must just wait and look forward until it happens,” the master director writes about it on Instagram. “When it does, it can be beautiful.”
With the A Tribute to… Award, ZFF recognizes auteur filmmakers for their contribution to film history. Previous award winners include Wim Wenders, Olivier Assayas, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, Oliver Stone and Maïwenn.
The 17th edition of the ZFF will take place from September 23 to October 3, 2021.