La Grazia (2025), dir. Paolo Sorrentino. Image courtesy of the official pressbook.

La Grazia, by Paolo Sorrentino, follows a respected Italian president approaching the end of his term in office. As he grapples with the moral dilemmas of his final responsibilities, he must also confront the uncertainty of what comes next.

Set against the grandeur of the presidential palace, Sorrentino's stunning cinematography and striking soundtrack beautifully echo the protagonist's unspoken turmoil, making the film an immersive and moving exploration of passion, regret and the inevitable passage of time.

As the presidency of Mariano De Santis, masterfully played by Toni Servillo, draws to a close, it is perhaps the finality of this chapter and the vastness of what lies ahead that bring long-forgotten feelings to the surface.

“Who owns our days?”

As he grapples with complex and sometimes irrational feelings, the question, posed by his daughter and confidante, seems to loom large in his final days in office. And while the answer may elude him, we begin to wonder whether it is the past that has come to own his present.