curated by, Gautam Bhaskaran
Last Update: July 11, 2023, 2:03 PM IST
Los Angeles, United States (USA)
Actors Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz’s upcoming international film Ferrari may compete at the Venice Film Festival. The 12-event, which takes place on the island of Lido near mainland Venice from 30 August, is the oldest in the world. It began in 1932 as a great propaganda vehicle for Italy’s Mussolini, Cannes opened several years later in 1939, but three days after the festival, Hitler’s army invaded Poland. Cannes had to be closed and resumed only after the Second World War.
The story of Ferrari is set in the summer of 1957, and Enzo Ferrari, a former racer from the 1950s, is in trouble. His company is threatened with bankruptcy, and his decade-long marriage to Laura is in jeopardy. Along with this, the loss of his son has also been added.
The synopsis from Entertainment Weekly reads: “Ex-race car driver Ferrari is in trouble. Bankruptcy is looming over the company he and his wife, Laura, built 10 years ago with virtually no money. Their stormy marriage struggles with mourning for one son and acceptance of the other. He decides to match his defeat by rolling the dice in a race – the prestigious Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile race across Italy.”
Driver plays the title character Enzo and Penelope plays Laura. The cast includes veterans Shailene Woodley as Lena Lardy, Jack O’Connell as Peter Collins, Sarah Gadon as Linda Christian, Patrick Dempsey as Piero Taruffi and Gabriel Leone as Alfonso de Portago.
Ferrari is directed by Mann from a script by Troy Kennedy Martin (The Italian Job), and is based on the book Enzo Ferrari – The Man and the Machine by Brock Yates. It is produced by Neon among others.
Neon CEO Tom Quinn said, “One of American cinema’s most innovative and influential filmmakers, Michael Mann was captivated by the power of this deeply dramatic story and persevered for years to bring it to the big screen. Ferrari reaffirms Neon’s continued commitment to supporting visionary writers pushing the boundaries of cinema. Working with Michael Mann at Ferrari is a dream come true for Neon.