The Hand of God 2021

In 1984 Naples, young Fabietto Schisa (Filippo Scotti) savors a carefree adolescence surrounded by a loving family and their colorful friends. However, the tranquility of their lives is abruptly disrupted by a series of personal crises: Patrizia (Luisa Ranieri), Fabietto’s aunt, endures abuse from her husband; Marchino (Marlon Joubert) faces disappointment as his acting aspirations crumble following a failed audition with the legendary Federico Fellini; and Saverio (Toni Servillo) betrays Maria (Teresa Saponangelo) through infidelity.

In the midst of this chaos, the arrival of soccer superstar Diego Maradona gives the city a glimmer of hope and joy, particularly for Fabietto, who finds a sense of solace in Maradona’s brilliance amid the turmoil of family tensions. As Saverio and Maria work toward reconciliation, they purchase a villa in Roccaraso for family holidays, extending an invitation to Fabietto. Unfortunately, he decides to skip the getaway in favor of attending a thrilling Napoli-Empoli match to witness Maradona play live.

Tragedy strikes when Saverio and Maria perish due to a carbon monoxide leak at the villa, plunging the Schisa siblings into profound grief. Fabietto, unable to say goodbye to his parents and wrestling with overwhelming survivor’s guilt, finds himself seeking guidance. He stumbles upon wisdom from his uncle Alfredo (Renato Carpentieri), who suggests that Fabietto was spared by “the hand of God.” With these sentiments, Fabietto embarks on a journey searching for meaning amidst his sorrow.

In parallel, Aunt Patrizia is admitted to a psychiatric institution, where during a visit, she reveals her own traumatic experiences, including a miraculous pregnancy linked to Saint Gennaro and the “munaciello,” followed by the tragedy of a miscarriage due to further abuse. Feeling constrained by her circumstances, she chose the refuge of hospitalization, which ignites Fabietto’s ambition to relocate to Rome.

His life takes another turn when Fabietto embarks on his first sexual encounter with the sympathetic Baroness Focale (Betty Pedrazzi), who offers a listening ear to his struggles, and forges a friendship with Armando (Biagio Manna), a smuggler wrapped in the dealings of Neapolitan crime.

Driven by a fascination for cinematography and inspired by a film and a captivating actress, Fabietto dreams of pursuing film studies. Yet, as his relationships with Marchino and Daniela falter—Marchino shying away from reality, and Daniela revealing a shocking family secret about a half-brother born from their father’s affair—his conviction to pursue his passion strengthens. A pivotal moment occurs during a performance when Antonio Capuano (Ciro Capano), a director, delivers a harsh critique of actress Yulia, impelling Fabietto to confess his yearning to study cinema in Rome. However, Capuano warns against using escape as a remedy for pain, urging him to embrace the stories of Naples.

As Napoli triumphs in securing its first league title, Fabietto recommits to his promise of moving to Rome. On the train ride to the city, he encounters a “munaciello” at a lonely station, harkening back to the affectionate whistle he so cherished from his parents.