The Best Century of My Life
The Best Century of My Life is a 2023 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Alessandro Bardani in his feature film directorial debut, based on the play of the same name by Bardani and Luigi Di Capua, which also penned the screenplay alongside Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli. It stars Sergio Castellitto as Gustavo, a centenarian who never met his biological parents, and Valerio Lundini as an adoptee rights activist who uses him to circumvent a law preventing adopted children from learning the identity of their biological parents until they turn 100 years old. It was the final film role of actress Sandra Milo before her death in 2024.
The film premiered in competition at the 53rd Giffoni Film Festival on 23 July 2023, before being released on 7 September 2023 by. It was a box office bomb, grossing €337,723 on a budget of €2.6 million.
Plot
Giovanni, a 34-year-old volunteer of the Adopted Children & Parents Association, finds out he's adopted and begins drifting away from his mother Gianna. After finding out that an obscure law prevents him from ever learning the identity of his biological parents before turning 100 years old, Giovanni seeks the help of Gustavo, the only living adopted centenarian in Italy. Giovanni travels with wheelchair-using Gustavo from his Tuscan hospice to the Ministry of the Interior in Rome, where they'll be handed the file. Giovanni hopes this stunt will help him to raise awareness of his predicament to the larger public, but he finds it difficult to bond with the curmudgeonly old man at first.However, once presented with the file containing his biological mother's name, Gustavo refuses to open it, stating that she gave him up for adoption at birth and so won't ever be his "real mother," unlike the woman who raised him. Albeit disappointed with the outcome, Giovanni is struck by Gustavo's words, recognizing he'd been treating Gianna unfairly. Gustavo eventually accepts to open his file to help with Giovanni's pet cause, but also to know his biological mother's face. At the cemetery, Giovanni finds her gravestone first—one without any photograph. Before Gustavo sees that, he places a photo from a nearby gravestone on it, providing the latter a much-needed closure: the old man reconciles with his mother and forgives her.
Cast
- Sergio Castellitto as Gustavo Diotallevi
- * Marzio El Moety as Gustavo as a child
- Valerio Lundini as Giovanni Andreasi
- Carla Signoris as Gianna
- as FAeGN President
- Elena Lander as Alina
- as Grazia
- Sandra Milo as J.O.
Release
The Best Century of My Life had its world premiere on 23 July 2023 as part of the Generator+18 platform of the 53rd Giffoni Film Festival, winning the Best Feature Award of the section where it competed.It was theatrically released in Italy on 7 September 2023 by.