The Venice Film Festival lifted off in grand style on Wednesday with the world premiere of Paolo Sorrentino’s much-anticipated film La Grazia. Returning to the Lido, the acclaimed Italian filmmaker brings a powerful story that blends politics, morality, and personal grief, with his longtime collaborator Toni Servillo in the lead role.

Servillo plays an Italian president crippled by indecision at the end of his term, torn between signing a bill legalizing euthanasia and coping with the loss of his wife. Sorrentino revealed that the work was inspired by a real-life case in Italy, where a president controversially pardoned a man who ended his ailing wife’s suffering.

The 82nd edition of the festival is set to sparkle with Hollywood heavyweights such as George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Dwayne Johnson, alongside auteurs Guillermo del Toro and Kathryn Bigelow. Yet beyond the red carpet, the ongoing war in Gaza has already made its presence felt, with protests outside the festival grounds and pointed questions at press conferences.