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Il Dono

Play trailer Poster for Il Dono Released Jul 25 1h 20m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
A gentle, beguiling hymn to a semi-deserted Calabrian countryside and those who stayed behind, Il Dono is a portrait of depopulation in the village of Caulonia (the filmmaker's ancestral town), which saw a dramatic decrease in inhabitants from roughly 15,000 in the 1950s to just a few hundred people at the time of the film's making. In mainly long, static, observational takes and with next to no dialogue, Il Dono pieces together the fragments of a place guided by slow rhythms and which could be described as "old world" with traditions, rituals, charm aplenty, and not a few ruins from the relentless ravages of time. Gorgeously shot on 16mm (then transferred to 35mm, and presented here in a recent digital restoration of superlative color), each frame of Il Dono is like a painting, whether a landscape, portraits of great, weather-worn faces, or still lives reminiscent of Giorgio Morandi's glass bottles.

Critics Reviews

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Beatrice Loayza New York Times Il Dono manages to strike a balance between damnation and idolatry of its medieval setting. Jul 24, 2025 Full Review Philip Bagnall Loud and Clear Reviews Frammartino brings together the sparse beauty of Kiarostami and the brutal honesty of Alan Clark in a melange that’s sometimes uncomfortable to watch, but which belies the quietness of the characters and landscape. Rated: 4/5 Jul 21, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C Success in 1 1/3 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Italian and American English audio versions with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Filmed on location in Italy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/26/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Il Dono

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Cast & Crew

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Michelangelo Frammartino

Director

Angelo Frammartino

The Old Man

Gabriella Maiolo

The Girl

Michelangelo Frammartino

Screenwriter

Laetizia Dradi

Executive Producer

Mario Miccoli

Cinematographer
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Il Dono

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Movie Info

Synopsis A gentle, beguiling hymn to a semi-deserted Calabrian countryside and those who stayed behind, Il Dono is a portrait of depopulation in the village of Caulonia (the filmmaker's ancestral town), which saw a dramatic decrease in inhabitants from roughly 15,000 in the 1950s to just a few hundred people at the time of the film's making. In mainly long, static, observational takes and with next to no dialogue, Il Dono pieces together the fragments of a place guided by slow rhythms and which could be described as "old world" with traditions, rituals, charm aplenty, and not a few ruins from the relentless ravages of time. Gorgeously shot on 16mm (then transferred to 35mm, and presented here in a recent digital restoration of superlative color), each frame of Il Dono is like a painting, whether a landscape, portraits of great, weather-worn faces, or still lives reminiscent of Giorgio Morandi's glass bottles.
Director
Michelangelo Frammartino
Screenwriter
Michelangelo Frammartino
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Production Co
RAI Cinema
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 25, 2025, Limited
Runtime
1h 20m