In the multi-layered moral drama, Servillo plays a fictional president of Italy named Mariano De Santis, conflicted about whether he should sign into law a bill that would allow euthanasia in Catholic Italy.

In “La Grazia,” which can be translated in English as “Grace,” Servillo’s lovable character also contends with other ethical and legal dilemmas. De Santis is a man of great integrity, despite the fact that he sneaks an occasional cigarette that he inhales deeply through his single lung. The president also warms to a real Italian rapper known as Guè.

Mubi will release “La Grazia” in the U.S. and other major territories.

“Every day in the news we read about decisions made by politicians that stem from impetuosity, show of force and strange twisted ideas about how the economy works. Instead of this, I wanted to depict what a politician should be like.”

How did this story germinate?

I usually start from being influenced by a character, but this story stems from a news item I read years ago about [current] Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who had pardoned an elderly man that killed his wife who was suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Starting from this, I asked myself what it meant for an individual — the only human who can exercise this power is the president of the republic, not just in Italy, but also in the United States and other countries — to mull over the dilemma of whether or not to pardon a murderer. It seemed to me this was an extremely interesting moral matter worth exploring, especially since, as is often the case in Italian history, this was a Catholic who therefore believed in values ​​related to the sacredness of life.

Irony in film: Italian politician with grace and positive values

The problem with portraying Andreotti and Berlusconi wasn’t dealing with characters who were negative. Politically, Berlusconi was. And so was Andreotti, in part. But that’s neither here nor there. There is common thread between the three films that regards how their protagonist’s private lives impact their decisions. We all have character flaws. But for us common mortals these have a negative impact, though maybe only on our children, on our wives, on our friends. But with people in power, we often underestimate the problem of their character [flaws]. I’ve always been interested in this. The other day I saw an interview done years ago with Charlie Munger, who is Warren Buffett’s partner. He was asked, “How would you see Donald Trump as president?” Munger said that Trump was motivated only by vanity and the search for glory and that these things would be very dangerous for someone who becomes president of the United States. Every day in the news, we read about decisions made by politicians that stem from impetuosity, show of force and strange twisted ideas about how the economy works. Instead, I wanted to depict what a politician should be like.

Toni Servillo, your male muse

I thought of Toni because he’s the one actor who gives me an immediate sense of authority. So when I start thinking about authoritative figures, Toni immediately comes to mind.

Advice Given to Servillo about his character, President De Santis?

The most recurring indication I gave was probably just to keep the character from veering into sentimentality. There were scenes that lent themselves to the president letting himself go emotionally, for example toward his daughter, I always preferred to put a freeze on this. That’s the great humanity that Toni emanates just with his face would suffice.

That stems from something autobiographical, from the relationship I have with my daughter. There is this temptation we all have, when we get older–even very smart, cultured people do this–to establish that the present-day is horrible and that the past in which they were young was a glorious time. It’s very human temptation. It’s comfortable, because it doesn’t force you to think about what is happening today at a time when you no longer have the tools to understand things. So I thought it could be interesting, given that the president is a very smart guy, that he does not surrender to this temptation. Instead, he lets his daughter lead him toward a better understanding of the present day. This is clear in what happens with the president and the law on euthanasia. In the end, he signs the euthanasia law because he trusts his daughter’s ideas. Not because he is convinced that’s it’s right. The future belongs to their generation.

Euthanasia is strong theme that anchors “La Grazia”

We are all tormented by the idea of, “Who do our days belong to?” We all feel that in certain phases of our lives, in certain crucial moments of transition, the days don’t belong to us. They haven’t belonged to us. They’ve belonged to others. For some of us, this perception can sometimes simply be a purely mundane thought, such as: “They belong to my employer or my to family. But, basically, I get by.” Bur for those who are burdened by physical and psychological suffering, it becomes very pressing question that must be answered. Euthanasia has to do with who is responsible for individual lives and deaths.

Italian rapper Guè’s music is interwoven into the film

Until quite recently, I didn’t know Guè or his music. It was one of my kids who turned me on to him, but it was actually my wife. I immediately liked his songs. At first I didn’t understand 85% of the words, but what struck me was that in the remaining 15% of the text within his complicated sentences, there was  profound humanity. A deep pain in his relationship with his father. That’s what captivated me. Then when I met him, in Milan, where he came to introduce my film “Parthenope,” I was struck by this big guy who was very strong, but also gentle. We just hit it off. His song that is in the film, “Le bimbe piangono,” has  line in it that says, “Chiedo dopo perdono, non prima per favore.” [“I will ask for forgiveness later, not before then please”]. Due to some strange mental alchemy, it moves me deeply. It’s like a mantra that I often repeat to myself. It’s about postponing the moment in which you will have to ask for forgiveness, given that we will all have to ask for forgiveness for wrongful things that we did. I wanted to underline how this elderly president is struggling to reconcile himself with the present but wants to understand it, so I wound up having him invite Guè to the presidential palace to be honored.