Netflix on Thursday unveiled the first trailer for “The Hand of God,” Italy’s official entry for the 2022 Best International Feature Oscars race.
“È stata la mano di Dio” in Italian, the film tells the story of a young man who comes of age in 1980s Naples, Italy. Fabietto Schisa (Filippo Scotti) is an awkward teenager whose life with his vibrant, eccentric family is suddenly upended by two events: the arrival of soccer legend Diego Maradona and then by a shocking accident from which Maradona inadvertently saves Fabietto, setting his future in motion.
Writer-director Paolo Sorrentino returns to his hometown to tell what has been called his most personal story about fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss.
In the trailer, which you can watch here or above, Fabietto celebrates Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal for Argentina in the 1986 World Cup with a wry smile as a building full of fans spill onto their balconies in a moment evoking triumph – and potentially what’s to come.
Sorrentino previously won an Academy Award for his 2013 film “La Grande Bellezza” (“The Great Beauty”). “The Hand of God” premiered at Venice Film Festival, where it scooped up awards for the Grand Jury Prize, the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Scotti’s performance, and the Pasinetti Award for Sorrentino and actress Teresa Saponangelo.
His next film, the Jennifer Lawrence-starring mafia drama “Mob Girl” is in pre-production.
The “Hand of God” premieres in theaters Dec. 1 and drops on Netflix Dec. 15. The film stars Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Massimiliano Gallo, Betti Pedrazzi, Biagio Manna, Ciro Capano, Enzo Decaro, Lino Musella and Sofya Gershevich.
Lorenzo Mieli and Paolo Sorrentino produce, along with The Apartment and A Fremantle Company.