The 2025 Venice Film Festival 2025 began in a state of grace. Grace , after all, is the title of the opening film: La Grazia , by Italy’s own Paolo Sorrentino . It is the story of an Italian president in the last months of his term—a man who’s trying to smoke only one cigarette per day as he remembers his late wife. He’s played by Toni Servillo, who appeared on Wednesday’s opening light red carpet with Anna Ferzetti , the film's leading lady. The stars and Sorrentino seemed in high spirits after the long applause their film drew at the morning press screenings, as did Milvia Marigliano , who plays the president's explosive friend. Not far away was actor and producer Pierfrancesco Favino , who will present his own film at the festival— but on Wednesday, was there to accompany

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