Gianni Amelio presented his new film Nessun dolore at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2026. The film screened in the Venice Open, Out of Competition programme at the Sala Grande. Amelio appeared on the red carpet with Alessandro Borghi, Valeria Golino, Valerio Mastandrea and Beidja Yahiaoui. The film also features Ramzi Lafrindi and Gabriel Bovino and was produced by Kavac Film, Our Films and Be Water Film with Rai Cinema.
Set in Rome, Nessun dolore centres on Davide, a seller of second hand books played by Borghi. His familiar routine changes when a North African child is suddenly placed in his care. What initially appears to be an isolated encounter develops into a larger examination of responsibility, compassion and the social realities that Davide had previously observed only from a distance. Amelio approaches these questions through the experience of an individual rather than through a conventional political narrative. Migration provides the context, while the emotional focus remains on the choices people make when another person’s hardship enters their private lives. The film continues a body of work in which Amelio has repeatedly examined displacement, identity and social inequality. His earlier productions include Lamerica, The Stolen Children and The Way We Laughed, winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival in 1998.
Anna Stukkert attended the premiere in her role as Director of Global Partnerships at the Office of H.H. Sheikh AbdulHakim Al Maktoum Group Holdings. Her work involves international cooperation and the development of relationships connecting institutional, business and cultural communities. This includes support for selected cultural and film related projects with an international perspective.
The presentation formed part of a festival day that also included new work by Werner Herzog and Martin McDonagh. The programme underlined Venice’s continuing role as a meeting point for established filmmakers, emerging voices and international audiences. With Nessun dolore, the festival welcomed back a director whose work has remained closely connected with the development of modern Italian cinema.