Sicilian Letters

Sicilian Letters
Sicilian Letters
	Theatrical release poster
Sicilian	Iddu – L'ultimo padrino
Directed by	Fabio Grassadonia; Antonio Piazza
Written by	Fabio Grassadonia; Antonio Piazza;
Produced by	Nicola Giuliano; Francesca Cima; Carlotta Calori; Viola Prestieri;
Starring	Toni Servillo; Elio Germano; Daniela Marra; Barbora Bobulova; Giuseppe Tantillo; Fausto Russo Alesi; Antonia Truppo;
Cinematography	Luca Bigazzi
Edited by	Paola Freddi
Music by	Colapesce
Production; companies	Indigo Film; Rai Cinema; Les Films du Losange;
Distributed by	01 Distribution (Italy); Les Films du Losange (France);
Release dates	5 September 2024 (Venice); 10 October 2024 (Italy); 16 April 2025 (France);
Running time	122 minutes
Countries	Italy; France;
Languages	Italian; Sicilian;
Box office	$2.3 million

Sicilian Letters (Sicilian: Iddu – L'ultimo padrino, lit. 'He – The Last Godfather') is a 2024 crime drama film written and directed by Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza. The film stars Elio Germano as Sicilian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro and Toni Servillo as Catello, an operative in the Italian secret service.^[2]

The film premiered on 5 September 2024 at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Lion. It was released theatrically in Italy on 10 October 2024 by 01 Distribution and in France on 16 April 2025 by Les Films du Losange.

Premise

In the early 2000s, the embattled politician Catello seeks to revive his career by helping the Secret Service track down the last known Cosa Nostra boss, Matteo Messina Denaro, whom Catello has known his entire life. The two begin corresponding via letters in a game of cat and mouse.^[3]

Cast

Toni Servillo as Catello, a secret services operative
Elio Germano as Matteo Messina Denaro
Daniela Marra [it] as Rita Mancuso
Barbora Bobulova as Lucia Russo
Giuseppe Tantillo [it] as Pino Tumino
Fausto Russo Alesi as Emilio Schiavon
Antonia Truppo as Stefania
Tommaso Ragno as Papacena
Betti Pedrazzi [it] as Elvira
Filippo Luna [it] as Giovannino
Rosario Palazzolo [it] as Don Gaetano
Roberto De Francesco as senator
Vincenzo Ferrera as assessor
Maurizio Marchetti [it] as Marshal Di Graziano
Gianluca Zaccaria as Corporal Battaglia
Lucio Patanè as Mayor Manciaracina

Production

Initially, the film had the working title Lettere a Catello ("Letters to Catello"), a title based on Salvatore Mugno's [it] book about Messina Denaro Lettere a Svetonio.^[4] Grassadonia and Piazza worked for two years on the screenplay.^[4] The film was shot in the summer of 2023 in Trapani, Sciacca, Salemi and Selinunte.^[4]

Release

Sicilian Letters premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2024 as a main competition entry.^[5] The film was released theatrically in Italy on 10 October 2024 by 01 Distribution and in France on 16 April 2025 by Les Films du Losange.^[6]^[7]

References

^ "Sicilian Letters (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
^ Vivarelli, Nick (27 June 2024). "Les Films du Losange Takes Sales on Mafia Drama 'Sicilian Letters' as First-Look Images of Elio Germano and Toni Servillo Are Revealed (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
^ "Sicilian Letters". Les Films du Losange. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cardinale, Jana (7 January 2024). "La vita di "Iddu" in Sicilia: i retroscena (pure sul titolo) del primo film su Messina Denaro". Balarm (in Italian). Retrieved 24 July 2024.
^ Vivarelli, Nick; Shafer, Ellise (23 July 2024). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: 'Joker 2' With Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie's 'Maria' and Luca Guadagnino's Daniel Craig-Led 'Queer' to Debut in Competition". Variety. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
^ Cantire, Davide (5 September 2024). "Venezia, Iddu con Elio Germano e Toni Servillo vince due premi alla Mostra". Movieplayer.it (in Italian). Retrieved 16 April 2025.
^ Gbadamassi, Falila (15 April 2025). ""Lettres siciliennes" : un film dans les méandres de la cavale d'un chef mafieux" (in French). France Info. Retrieved 16 April 2025.

External links

Sicilian Letters at IMDb

[1] "Sicilian Letters (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 16 April 2025.

[var-2] Vivarelli, Nick (27 June 2024). "Les Films du Losange Takes Sales on Mafia Drama 'Sicilian Letters' as First-Look Images of Elio Germano and Toni Servillo Are Revealed (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 24 July 2024.

[fdl-3] "Sicilian Letters". Les Films du Losange. Retrieved 24 July 2024.

[bio-4] Cardinale, Jana (7 January 2024). "La vita di "Iddu" in Sicilia: i retroscena (pure sul titolo) del primo film su Messina Denaro". Balarm (in Italian). Retrieved 24 July 2024.

[5] Vivarelli, Nick; Shafer, Ellise (23 July 2024). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: 'Joker 2' With Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie's 'Maria' and Luca Guadagnino's Daniel Craig-Led 'Queer' to Debut in Competition". Variety. Retrieved 24 July 2024.

[6] Cantire, Davide (5 September 2024). "Venezia, Iddu con Elio Germano e Toni Servillo vince due premi alla Mostra". Movieplayer.it (in Italian). Retrieved 16 April 2025.

[7] Gbadamassi, Falila (15 April 2025). ""Lettres siciliennes" : un film dans les méandres de la cavale d'un chef mafieux" (in French). France Info. Retrieved 16 April 2025.

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