Titled Joie de Vivre, the documentary that Luca Guadagnino has dedicated to Bernardo Bertolucci runs seven hours. The work will be presented out of competition in the Venice Open – Films on Films section, at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, running from September 2 to 12.

“I assure you that you remain glued to the screen for seven hours – we went through this experience without managing to look away from the documentary for a moment,” said festival director Alberto Barbera. “It is, as you can imagine, quite extraordinary, because it is at once an analysis – not of all, but of many – of Bernardo Bertolucci’s films, made by Guadagnino himself, together with many of his friends, colleagues, directors, and passionate critics. It’s a way not just to analyze the films, but to make Bernardo Bertolucci a touchstone for interpreting and understanding what cinema was, what modern cinema is, and ultimately what criticism is, what its role is, what it has been in the past, and what it could still be in the future. In short, an absolutely gripping film.”

The film will be a love letter to Bernardo Bertolucci, one of the most celebrated and influential filmmakers of the 20th century. It will be an exploration of his cinema, his art, and his life. The documentary will also benefit from the collaboration of several major figures from the world of film. Bernardo Bertolucci inspired generations of directors, both his contemporaries and those who came after him. This gave rise to the idea of interviewing some of them so they could contribute to the story.