Pclose to January 6th, here is Rai 1 – tonight at 9.30pm – broadcast The Befana comes at night, a 2018 film about an old lady from Italian folklore who delivers gifts to children on the eve of the Epiphany. The protagonist is Paola Cortellesi. Among the other actors in the cast are Stefano Fresi and Fausto Maria Sciarappa,
The Befana comes at nightthe plot of the movie
Paola (Cortellesi) is a teacher primary school student who leads a quiet, low-profile life. An existence that hides a special identity, that of the Befana. In which Paola transforms at night, especially for the night of January 6th.
However, it happens that, during one of these special nights, the Befana loses the address of a child, one Giovanni Rovasio. When she finds it again, the broom loses energy and abandons her halfway, causing her to fall. Giovanni thus receives the gift late, which saddens him further (his father has just left home), and pushes him to hate the Befana.
25 years laterPaola teaches in Valdilana, a small mountain village where she encounters the listlessness of the students and their arguments. He has an affair with his colleague Giacomo (Fausto Maria Sciarappa), who one evening invites her to dinner and asks her to marry him. Paola, however, is crossed by a thousand doubts, especially due to the secret of the Befana, for Giacomo it could be a shock.
The actress Paola Cortellesi (Befana) in a scene from the film “The Befana Comes at Night”.
Paola is kidnapped
The same evening as the proposal, one of Paola’s students records her on the phone as she returns home on her broom. In a few minutes the video goes viral. Everyone is talking about the mysterious woman seen flying in the sky. The most disparate theories arise, but only one man recognizes her. It’s Giovanni Rovasiowho has done nothing but hunt her down since the night of the late gift.
When the next morning she is kidnapped by two mento witnessing the scene there is a student who films the scene with his cell phone and warns his classmates. Once they reach the teacher’s house, here’s the truth: the house is none other than the Befana’s headquarters.
The actors Paola Cortellesi (Befana) and Stefano Fresi (Mr. Johnny) during a scene from the film “The Befana Comes at Night”.
Meanwhile Paola finds herself in the hands of a toymaker, a certain Mr. Johnny (Stefano Fresi), or Giovanni Rovasio. That he holds her responsible for her parents’ divorce and that she waited 25 years to take revenge on her. Her goal is to eliminate her and take her place. He therefore orders her to reveal to him where she has hidden the children’s letters. Obviously Paola refuses and is promptly sedated. When she wakes up, Mister Johnny reveals the new plan to her: kill the children who asked for gifts and place the blame on her.
While Paola searches for a solution, the students do they track Mr. Johnny by studying the map and crossing the woods. It’s the beginning of an adventure full of pitfalls waiting for the happy ending, just like it happens in fairy tales.
“The Befana comes at night”, Paola Cortellesi.
The Befana comes at nighta feminist fairy tale
In The Befana comes at night a feminist narrative emerges. Albeit schematic. Born in 1481 in Rome, the Befana is condemned to the stake because she was accused of being a witch. A woman saves her. The villains are exclusively menwhile innocence is entrusted to children.
In comparison with Santa Claus, who can travel comfortably in a sleigh, she is forced to stay on a diet and keep fit to be able to fit into the chimneys. And hold on to the broom.
The prequel was made in 2021, The Befana comes at night 2 – The origins, set in the eighteenth century. In this case the director is Paola Randi e has Monica Bellucci as its protagonist, as the good witch Dolores. The cast includes Alessandro Haber, Herbert Ballerina, Fabio De Luigi and Corrado Guzzanti.
Monica Belucci in “La Befana comes at night 2 – The origins”.
Paola Cortellesi’s golden moment
It’s Paola Cortellesi’s golden moment, you know. There’s still tomorrowof which he is the protagonist and which marks his directorial debut, It’s the movie of the year. With 32,250,000 euros of takings he surpassed Barbie by Greta Gerwig. Also it is in fifth place among the most viewed Italian films of all time.
Before her, Checco Zalone with his four films: Where am I going?, Sunshine, Tolo Tolo And What a beautiful day. At the sixth there is Life is Beautiful by Roberto Benignion the seventh welcome to the South, to the eighth ask me if I’m happy by Aldo Giovanni and Giacomo. Ninth place for Christmas on the Nile by Neri Parenti and tenth place The cyclone by Leonardo Pieraccioni.
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