Luca Guadagnino produces *Ketticè* to challenge Italian cinema

Luca Guadagnino says he had to back Giovanni Tortorici’s new coming-of-age drama *Ketticè* because the Italian film landscape feels too “sterile.” The acclaimed director, fresh off *Challengers*, explained on social media that the country’s cinema is losing its edge—too safe, too cautious, and too afraid to take bold creative risks.

Guadagnino’s comments come at a time when Italian cinema is grappling with commercial struggles and shifting audience tastes. Traditional producers are hesitant to fund edgy, original stories, pushing filmmakers toward safer formulas. *Ketticè*, set in Sicily in the 1980s, follows a 13-year-old boy’s sexual awakening and is anything but formulaic. Tortorici’s debut film mixes raw emotion with nostalgic detail, a tone Guadagnino says is increasingly rare in Italy.

Guadagnino didn’t mince words. “Italian cinema is in a state of emergency,” he wrote. “We’re living in a desert of imagination.” He praised *Ketticè* for daring to be different, calling it a rare spark in a landscape dominated by copycat comedies and sanitized period pieces. The film premiered at the 2024 Venice Critics’ Week and has drawn attention for its unflinching look at adolescence.

What happens next could matter beyond Tortorici’s film. Guadagnino’s call for risk-taking may resonate with younger Italian filmmakers who feel stifled by cautious financiers. If *Ketticè* finds an audience—critical or commercial—it could push the industry toward bolder, more personal storytelling. Or it could underscore how hard it is to break the mold in a country where box-office hits still favor escapism over authenticity.