Elisa (2025 film)
| Elisa | |
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| Directed by | Leonardo Di Costanzo |
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| Cinematography | Luca Bigazzi |
| Edited by | Carlotta Cristiani |
| Music by | Giorgio "Aki" Matteo Oliviero |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | 01 Distribution (Italy) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
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Elisa (Italian: Elisa — Io la volevo uccidere) is an upcoming drama film directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Bruno Olivero and Valia Santella. Barbara Ronchi stars as a convicted murderer who, while in prison, decides to participate in a criminologist's research into family crimes. The film is a co-production between Italy and Switzerland.
The film will have its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 4 September 2025, where it was nominated for Golden Lion. It will be released in Italy by 01 Distribution on 5 September 2025.
Plot
Elisa Zanetti was raised in an ordinary, middle-class family. Now 35 years old, she has been in prison for ten years for killing her older sister. She burned and hid her sister's body. A motive for the crime could not be determined at the time. Elisa claims she has almost no memory of the crime. After the crime, she remained silent and never revealed what had really occurred. She is serving her sentence in the Moncaldo prison, a model prison with its own teaching center. There, Elisa receives regular visits from her father, the only member of her family who remained close to her.
One day, Elisa decides to participate in the research of the famed criminologist Alaoui. He is invited to Moncaldo as a guest lecturer and specializes in family crimes. In difficult and painful conversations, Elisa begins to open up to him and recall the events of that time. Alaoui investigates the circumstances that led to the murder. Elisa becomes fully conscious of her own guilt for the first time and breaks down.[1][2][3][4][5]
Cast
- Barbara Ronchi as Elisa Zanetti
- Roschdy Zem as Professor Alaoui
- Diego Ribon as Elisa's father
- Valeria Golino
- Giorgio Montanini
- Hippolyte Girardot
- Monica Codena
- Roberta Da Soller
- Marco Brinzi
Production
Elisa is the fourth feature film by Italian director Leonardo Di Costanzo, who began his career in the early 1990s with documentary filmmaking. He was inspired to create the project upon reflection of his previous film, The Inner Cage (2021), a drama which told the story of a group of prisoners and guards in a remote prison awaiting transfer. With Elisa, Di Costanzo says his work continued in "a more intimate and disturbing direction". He was less interested in "the crime itself" than in "the inner journey of the perpetrator."[6]
"In Elisa, I tried to convey the complexity of a figure capable of pain, coldness, manipulation, and ultimately a very human desire to be heard. I hope the film raises questions rather than offers answers, and that it can inspire in the audience the same ethical and emotional disorientation that guided my gaze while writing and directing." —Leonardo Di Costanzo[6]
Di Costanzo wrote the film's screenplay with Bruno Olivero and Valia Santella. It was inspired by studies and conversations between criminologists Adolfo Ceretti and Lorenzo Natali which appear in their book Io volevo ucciderla.[7]
Release
Elisa was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival,[8] where it is set to have its world premiere on 4 September 2025.[9]
The film is scheduled to be theatrically released in Italy on 5 September 2025,[10] by 01 Distribution. Rai Cinema International Distribution is handling worldwide distribution rights.[7]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Film Festival | 6 September 2025 | Golden Lion | Leonardo Di Costanzo | Pending | [9] |
References
- ^ "Elisa". Swiss Films. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Elisa - Io la volevo uccidere". IDM Film Commission Südtirol. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Elisa (2025)". Mubi. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Elisa". Crew United. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick (16 February 2025). "Roschdy Zem Set for Psychodrama 'Elisa — I Wanted to Kill Her' Directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Elisa". Filmitalia. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ a b Scarpa, Vittoria (25 July 2025). "Leonardo di Costanzo to present Elisa in Venice". Cineuropa. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (22 July 2025). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo Del Toro, Noah Baumbach & Benny Safdie In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Elisa". La Biennale di Venezia. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ "Elisa". www.01distribution.it. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
Further reading
- Adolfo Ceretti, Lorenzo Natali: Io volevo ucciderla : per una criminologia dell'incontro. R. Cortina, Milano 2022, ISBN 9788832854336.