# The Hand of God (film)

The Hand of God (Italian: È stata la mano di Dio, lit. 'It Was the Hand of God') is a 2021 Italian semi-autobiographical drama film written, directed and produced by Paolo Sorrentino. Set in Naples, the film delves into Sorrentino's own youth. Its cast features Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Massimiliano Gallo, Betti Pedrazzi, Enzo Decaro, Sofya Gershevich, Lino Musella and Biagio Manna.
At the 78th Venice International Film Festival, it competed for the Golden Lion, winning the Grand Jury Prize; Filippo Scotti's performance earned him the Marcello Mastroianni Award. Following a limited theatrical release on 24 November 2021, the film became available for streaming on Netflix on 15 December 2021. It received a nomination for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.

## Plot

In 1984 Naples, Fabietto Schisa enjoys a carefree adolescence with his close-knit family amidst eccentric relatives and friends. However, their peace is shattered: Maria's sister, Patrizia, faces abuse from her husband; Marchino's acting dreams falter after a failed audition with Federico Fellini; Maria discovers Saverio's infidelity.
Amidst turmoil, the acquisition of Diego Maradona by Napoli brings hope and joy, especially for Fabietto, who finds solace in Maradona amidst the chaos. Saverio and Maria reconcile, buying a villa in Roccaraso for family vacations. They invite Fabietto for a weekend getaway, but he declines to attend a Napoli-Empoli match to see Maradona play.
Tragically, Saverio and Maria die from a carbon monoxide leak at the villa. The loss devastates the Schisa siblings, especially Fabietto, who is prevented from seeing his parents' bodies. He grapples with survivor's guilt but also gains a new perspective from his uncle Alfredo's belief that he was saved by "the hand of God". Amidst profound grief and confusion, Fabietto searches for meaning and direction.
Meanwhile, Aunt Patrizia is hospitalized in a psychiatric facility. During Fabietto's visit, she shares her story: miraculously pregnant after an encounter with Saint Gennaro and the "munaciello", but subsequent abuse led to a miscarriage. Feeling trapped, she chose hospitalization to escape her oppressive life. This sparks Fabietto's desire to move to Rome. He has his first sexual encounter with a neighbor, Baroness Focale, who empathizes with his struggles. He also befriends Armando, a smuggler, delving into Neapolitan crime.
Fascinated by cinematography, inspired by a film and actress, Fabietto dreams of studying it. Meanwhile, his relationships with Marchino and Daniela sour: Marchino avoids the future, and Daniela reveals a half-brother fathered by their dad's affair. During a performance by Yulia, Fabietto witnesses director Antonio Capuano harshly criticize her flaws. They discuss Fabietto's desire to study cinema in Rome, but Capuano perceives it as an attempt to escape pain. He advises Fabietto not to flee from Naples but to embrace its stories.
Meanwhile, Napoli wins its first league title. After their encounter, Fabietto decides to keep his promise to go to Rome. During the train journey, he encounters a "munaciello" at a desolate station, echoing his parents' affectionate whistle.

## Cast

* Filippo Scotti as Fabietto Schisa
* Toni Servillo as Saverio Schisa
* Teresa Saponangelo as Maria Schisa
* Luisa Ranieri as Patrizia
* Massimiliano Gallo as Franco
* Renato Carpentieri as Alfredo
* Ciro Capano as Antonio Capuano
* Marlon Joubert as Marchino Schisa
* Betti Pedrazzi as Baronessa Focale
* Biagio Manna as Armando
* Enzo De Caro as San Gennaro
* Sofya Gershevich as Yulia
* Roberto Oliveri as Maurizio
* Lino Musella as Mariettiello
* Cristiana Dell'Anna as Armando's sister
* Monica Nappo as Silvana
* Carmen Pommella as Annarella
* Adriano Saleri as Federico Fellini's assistant
* Alfonso Perugini as Dante Ferretti

## Production

In July 2020, it was announced Paolo Sorrentino would write, direct and produce the film, with Netflix attached to distribute. Sorrentino spent years gathering memories about his family, friends and parents before writing the screenplay. Despite the extensive preparation, he wrote the script in just two weeks. That same month, a lawyer for Diego Maradona stated he was considering legal action against the film for its title, as it is a reference to Maradona's 1986 FIFA World Cup goal against England, and use of Maradona's image was not authorized. Netflix responded that the film is not a sports film or about Maradona, and instead a personal story inspired by Sorrentino's youth. In September 2020, Toni Servillo joined the cast of the film, with principal photography commencing that same month in Naples.

## Release

The Hand of God had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2021. It became available worldwide on Netflix on 15 December 2021.

## Reception
### Critical response

The film was mostly well received by critics. In The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw awarded the film four stars out of five, calling it an "extravagantly personal" film saying it would be "obtuse not to marvel at the exuberance, energy and vivid moment-by-moment immediacy of this movie." The Independent also awarded the film four stars out of a possible five. RogerEbert.com described the film as quintessential Sorrentino, noting that "it’s about finding character in unexpected places and making it seem both true to life and completely overwhelming". They also praised the cinematography of Daria D'Antonio. Writing in The New York Times, A.O Scott described the film as "sensual, sad and occasionally sublime." Like many critics, he saw the similarities between Sorrentino and Federico Fellini, suggesting that "if The Great Beauty, an Oscar winner in 2014, can be called Sorrentino’s La Dolce Vita, then this is his Amarcord". Referencing the autobiographical of Sorrentino's film, he concluded: "It’s a beautiful tautology: a true-to-life movie about a life made for movies." Filmmaker David O. Russell praised the film, saying "If the best movies are graced by something divine as well as profane, this film may prove that there is a God, who does indeed work in very mysterious ways."
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 83% based on 158 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Although The Hand of God isn't Sorrentino's best work, this beautifully filmed coming-of-age story sings in a beguiling, albeit minor, key." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

### Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Academy Awards | 27 March 2022 | Best International Feature Film | Italy | Nominated |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | 18 March 2022 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 13 March 2022 | Best Film Not In the English Language | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 13 March 2022 | Best Casting | Annamaria Sambucco | Nominated |
| Black Film Critics Circle Awards | 22 December 2021 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Won |
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | 4 January 2022 | Best International Feature | The Hand of God | Won |
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | 4 January 2022 | Best Director | Paolo Sorrentino | Won |
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | 4 January 2022 | Breakout Actor of the Year | Filippo Scotti | Won |
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | 4 January 2022 | European Feature Film of the Year | The Hand of God | Won |
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | 4 January 2022 | European Director of the Year | Paolo Sorrentino | Won |
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | 4 January 2022 | European Producer of the Year | Lorenzo Mieli | Won |
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | 4 January 2022 | Italian Actor of the Year | Toni Servillo | Won |
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival | 4 January 2022 | Italian Actress of the Year | Teresa Saponangelo | Won |
| Casting Society of America | 17 March 2022 | Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Studio or Independent Drama | Annamaria Sambucco | Nominated |
| Critics Choice Movie Awards | 13 March 2022 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association | 20 December 2021 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Film | The Hand of God | Won |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Director | Paolo Sorrentino | Won |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Original Screenplay | Paolo Sorrentino | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Producer | Paolo Sorrentino & Lorenzo Mieli | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Filippo Scotti | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | Teresa Saponangelo | Won |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | Luisa Ranieri | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Supporting Actor | Toni Servillo | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Cinematography | Daria D'Antonio | Won |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Costumes | Mariano Tufano | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Editing | Cristiano Travaglioli | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Production Design | Iole Autero & Carmine Guarino | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Make-Up | Vincenzo Mastrantonio | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Sound | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | Best Visual Effects | Rodolfo Migliari | Nominated |
| David di Donatello | 3 May 2022 | David Youth Award | The Hand of God | Won |
| Dublin Film Critics' Circle | 21 December 2021 | Best Cinematography | Daria D'Antonio | Nominated |
| European Film Awards | 11 December 2021 | Best Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| European Film Awards | 11 December 2021 | Best Director | Paolo Sorrentino | Nominated |
| European Film Awards | 11 December 2021 | Best Screenplay | Paolo Sorrentino | Nominated |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | 22 December 2021 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Won |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | 14 January 2022 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 9 January 2022 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Golden Reel Awards | 13 March 2022 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Foreign Language Feature | Silvia Moraes | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 11 February 2023 | Best European Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Hawaii Film Critics Society | 14 January 2022 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Won |
| International Cinephile Society | 6 February 2022 | Best Breakthrough Performance | Filippo Scotti | Nominated |
| Kansas City Film Critics Association | 16 January 2022 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| London Film Critics' Circle | 6 February 2022 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| London Film Festival | 17 October 2021 | Best Film | Paolo Sorrentino | Nominated |
| Middleburg Film Festival | 21 October 2021 | International Spotlight Award | Paolo Sorrentino | Won |
| Mill Valley Film Festival | 17 October 2021 | Festival Award | Paolo Sorrentino & Filippo Scotti | Won |
| Music City Film Critics Association | 25 January 2022 | Best International Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Newport Beach Film Festival | 28 October 2021 | Best International Film | Paolo Sorrentino | Won |
| North American Film Critic Association | 6 February 2022 | Best Cinematography | Daria D'Antonio | Nominated |
| North American Film Critic Association | 6 February 2022 | Best Foreign Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| North Dakota Film Society Awards | 17 January 2022 | Best International Feature | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | 28 October 2021 | Best Foreign Language Film | Paolo Sorrentino | Nominated |
| Phoenix Critics Circle | 18 December 2021 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | 18 December 2021 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Won |
| Robert Awards | 6 February 2022 | Best Non-English Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | 2 April 2022 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Seattle Film Critics Society | 17 January 2022 | Best Foreign Language Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Set Decorators Society of America | 22 February 2022 | Best Achievement in Decor/Design of a Feature Film - Contemporary | Iole Autero & Carmine Guarino | Nominated |
| South African Online Film Critics | 29 December 2021 | Best International Feature Film | The Hand of God | Won |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards | 19 December 2021 | Best International Film | The Hand of God | Runner-up |
| Sydney Film Festival | 15 November 2021 | Best Film | Paolo Sorrentino | Nominated |
| Turkish Film Critics Association | 17 January 2022 | Best Streaming Film | The Hand of God | Nominated |
| Venice Film Festival | 11 September 2021 | Golden Lion | Paolo Sorrentino | Nominated |
| Venice Film Festival | 11 September 2021 | Grand Jury Prize | Paolo Sorrentino | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | 11 September 2021 | Marcello Mastroianni Award | Filippo Scotti | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | 11 September 2021 | Pasinetti Award for Best Film | Paolo Sorrentino | Won |
| Venice Film Festival | 11 September 2021 | Pasinetti Award for Best Actress | Teresa Saponangelo | Won |