Un deck of cards, a table and an invisible opponent: this image comes to life Brunello, the polite visionarythe documentary with which Giuseppe Tornatore traces the biography of Brunello Cucinelli. The film alternates fiction, repertoire and voices of friends and collaboratorscomposing a portrait that focuses both on his professional rise and on his connection with his peasant origins.
With music by Nicola Piovani, the work arrives in Italian theaters in a limited distribution in December 2025after the first screenings at international festivals. Today, December 4th, the Italian premiere at Cinecittà .
Brunello Cucinelli, his documentary coming out in cinemas
The documentary was born from an idea I had about three years agowhen Brunello Cucinelli decided to transform it into cinematic form the story of one’s life and the principles that have guided the growth of his company. From the village of Solomeo in Umbria to over 130 boutiques around the world, Brunello Cucinelli has recorded a turnover in excess of one billion euros in just a few decadespreserving production and craftsmanship in Italy. A story that today appears unrepeatable, entrusted to the director Giuseppe Tornatore, who chose a hybrid approach between cinematic narration and documentary reconstruction to bring it to the big screen. With the help of Nicola Piovani, author of the original music.
The poster of the film. Courtesy of: Brunello Cucinelli
A life in a film
The film revolves around a specific image: a card game between Cucinelli and an opponent who is never seena silent presence that guides the pace of the story until the last scene. This is the trick chosen by Tornatore to traverse the different seasons of the entrepreneur’s life, alternating cinematic reconstructions, glimpses of childhood Umbria, archive materials and voices of those who accompanied him over time. They are also there to mark the journey the nicknames that have been attributed to him over the years: from the grandfather’s “fox” to his wife’s “wolf”, transformed into small chapters that punctuate the journey, opening a more intimate window on the entrepreneur’s life.
The title, Brunello, the polite visionaryrefers precisely to the double register chosen by Tornatore: on the one hand the entrepreneurial intuitions, on the other the intimate tone with which his story is told.
The performers and the release date in theaters
The question everyone has been asking: cwho will play Brunello Cucinelli in the film? Tornatore chose three actors for three different phases of his life: Francesco Cannevale, Francesco Ferroni And Saul Nanni, already known to the public for The Leopard, Supersex And Until the end. They complete the cast Emma Fatone as Federica Benda, Cucinelli’s wife, e Beatrice Carlani like Mama Maria. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, Brunello, the polite visionary will have its world premiere in Rome on 4 December 2025 with an event that will involve celebrities and actors close to the brand.
The film will then arrive in Italian cinemas on 9, 10 and 11 December with 01 Distribution, in a three-day event. The international debut is expected, however, during 2026.