Aprile, the drama-comedy written, directed and starring Nanni Moretti, returns to cinemas in France on September 30, 2026 in a restored version distributed by Malavida Films. Shown in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998, this Franco-Italian feature is presented in its original version with French subtitles and runs 1h18.
Between 1994 and 1997, Nanni Moretti films a period when his personal life, his work as a filmmaker, and the Italian political scene seem to collide at every turn. He witnesses Silvio Berlusconi’s rise to power, questions the fate of the left, and attempts several projects that never quite come off, all while preparing to become a father.
Aprile extends the autobiographical approach he adopted a few years earlier in Journal intime. Nanni Moretti portrays a version of himself, surrounded by his close circle and several longtime collaborators. The narrative unfolds in fragments, weaving together domestic scenes, political reflections, documentary footage, and meditations on the craft of filmmaking.
At the heart of the film lies a planned musical comedy about a Trotskyist pastry chef in 1950s Italy. Perpetually postponed, the shoot comes to symbolize Nanni's own indecision, torn between his wish to tell a fictional story and his impulse to make a documentary about his country's political climate.
The birth of his son Pietro gradually brings a new tempo into the story. The filmmaker thus juxtaposes Italy’s sweeping upheavals with the more immediate changes in his own life, without treating his role as a father, his political beliefs, and his relationship to cinema as separate threads.
Joining Nanni Moretti on screen are Silvio Orlando, Silvia Nono, and Pietro Moretti. The original score is by Ludovico Einaudi, with cinematography by Giuseppe Lanci.
In Paris, the re-release will be accompanied by a special screening on Wednesday, September 30 at 8:00 p.m. at Reflet Médicis. The screening will be introduced by film critic Emmanuel Burdeau, the author of several essays on Nanni Moretti’s body of work.
This reissue continues the work started by Malavida Films exploring the Italian director’s filmography, following the restored re-release of Palombella Rossa. Initially slated for September 2026, Journal intime has, for its part, been postponed to September 2027.
Also check out Towards a Radiant Future, another film in which Nanni Moretti probes cinema and political engagement, as well as our guide to films to see in cinemas in September 2026.
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