The Hand of God (Italian: È stata la mano di Dio, lit. It was the hand of God ) is a 2021 Italian drama film written, directed, and produced by Paolo Sorrentino. It stars Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Massimiliano Gallo, Betti Pedrazzi, Biagio Manna, and Ciro Capano. The film refers autobiographically to Sorrentino s youth in Naples.

It competed for the Golden Lion at the 78th Venice International Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize and where Filippo Scotti received the Marcello Mastroianni Award. It was released in a limited release on 24 November 2021, followed by streaming on Netflix on 15 December 2021. It was nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.

Plot

In the 1980s, young Fabietto lives at home in Naples with his father Saverio Schisa and mother Maria Schisa. He doesn’t have many friends nor a lover and wants to study philosophy in college. For the time being, he s mainly listening to music and watching Diego Maradona play for his home team, Napoli. His brother Marchino takes him to acting auditions and sympathizes with his affection for their emotionally troubled aunt Patrizia. Fabietto’s parents are building a new home in Roccaraso. They visit the home without Fabietto who decides to stay to while they go along. There is a carbon monoxide leak in the new home. His mother dies in the home. While his father dies in the hospital. Due to this Fabietto comes of age in a cruel and brutal manner.

Cast

• Filippo Scotti as Fabietto Schisa
• Toni Servillo as Saverio Schisa
• Teresa Saponangelo as Maria Schisa
• Luisa Ranieri as Patrizia
• Massimiliano Gallo as Franco
• Renato Carpentieri as Alfredo
• Ciro Capano as Antonio Capuano
• Marlon Joubert as Marchino Schisa
• Betti Pedrazzi as Baronessa Focale
• Biagio Manna as Armando
• Enzo De Caro as San Gennaro
• Sofya Gershevich as Yulia
• Roberto Oliveri as Maurizio
• Lino Musella as Mariettiello
• Cristiana Dell Anna as Armando s sister
• Monica Nappo as Silvana
• Carmen Pommella as Annarella
• Adriano Saleri as Federico Fellini s assistant

Production

In July 2020, it was announced Paolo Sorrentino would write, direct, and produce the film, with Netflix attached to distribute. That same month, a lawyer for Diego Maradona stated he was considering legal action against the film for its title, as it is a reference to Maradona s 1986 FIFA World Cup goal against England, and use of Maradona s image was not authorized. Netflix responded that the film is not a sports film or about Maradona and instead a personal story inspired by Sorrentino s youth. In September 2020, Toni Servillo joined the cast of the film, with principal photography commencing that same month, in Naples, Italy.

Release

The Hand of God had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2021. It became available worldwide on Netflix on 15 December 2021.

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 143 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website s critics consensus reads, Although The Hand of God isn t Sorrentino s best work, this beautifully filmed coming-of-age story sings in a beguiling, albeit minor, key. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews .

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
Academy Awards	27 March 2022	Best International Feature Film	Italy	Nominated
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards	18 March 2022	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
BAFTA Awards	13 March 2022	Best Film Not In the English Language	The Hand of God	Nominated
		Best Casting	Annamaria Sambucco	Nominated
Black Film Critics Circle Awards	22 December 2021	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Won
Capri Hollywood International Film Festival	4 January 2022	Best International Feature	The Hand of God	Won
		Best Director	Paolo Sorrentino	Won
		Breakout Actor of the Year	Filippo Scotti	Won
		European Feature Film of the Year	The Hand of God	Won
		European Director of the Year	Paolo Sorrentino	Won
		European Producer of the Year	Lorenzo Mieli	Won
		Italian Actor of the Year	Toni Servillo	Won
		Italian Actress of the Year	Teresa Saponangelo	Won
Casting Society of America	17 March 2022	Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Studio or Independent Drama	Annamaria Sambucco	Nominated
CinEuphoria Awards	13 January 2022	Best International Film	The Hand of God	Won
		Best Director	Paolo Sorrentino	Won
		Best Screenplay	Paolo Sorrentino	Nominated
		Best Actor	Filippo Scotti	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor	Toni Servillo	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress	Luisa Ranieri	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress	Teresa Saponangelo	Nominated
		Best Duo	Teresa Saponangelo & Toni Servillo	Nominated
		Best Cast Ensemble	The Hand of God	Won
		Best Art Direction	Iole Autero & Carmine Guarino	Nominated
		Best Costume Design	Mariano Tufano	Nominated
		Best Make-Up	Vincenzo Mastrantonio & Marco Perna	Nominated
		Best Editing	Cristiano Travaglioli	Nominated
		Best Original Music	Lele Marchitelli	Nominated
		Best Sound/Sound Effects	The Hand of God	Nominated
		Best Poster	The Hand of God	Nominated
		Best Trailer	The Hand of God	Won
		Top 10 Films of the Year	The Hand of God	Won
Critics Choice Movie Awards	13 March 2022	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association	20 December 2021	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
David di Donatello Awards	3 May 2022	Best Film	The Hand of God	Won
		Best Director	Paolo Sorrentino	Won
		Best Original Screenplay	Paolo Sorrentino	Nominated
		Best Producer	Paolo Sorrentino & Lorenzo Mieli	Nominated
		Best Actor in a Leading Role	Filippo Scotti	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress	Teresa Saponangelo	Won
			Luisa Ranieri	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor	Toni Servillo	Nominated
		Best Cinematography	Daria D Antonio	Won
		Best Costumes	Mariano Tufano	Nominated
		Best Editing	Cristiano Travaglioli	Nominated
		Best Production Design	Iole Autero & Carmine Guarino	Nominated
		Best Make-Up	Vincenzo Mastrantonio	Nominated
		Best Sound	The Hand of God	Nominated
		Best Visual Effects	Rodolfo Migliari	Nominated
		David Youth Award	The Hand of God	Won
Dublin Film Critics Circle	21 December 2021	Best Cinematography	Daria D Antonio	Nominated
European Film Awards	11 December 2021	Best Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
		Best Director	Paolo Sorrentino	Nominated
		Best Screenplay	Paolo Sorrentino	Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards	22 December 2021	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Won
Georgia Film Critics Association	14 January 2022	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards	9 January 2022	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
Golden Reel Awards	13 March 2022	Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Foreign Language Feature	Silvia Moraes	Nominated
Hawaii Film Critics Society	14 January 2022	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Won
International Cinephile Society	6 February 2022	Best Breakthrough Performance	Filippo Scotti	Nominated
Kansas City Film Critics Association	16 January 2022	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
London Film Critics Circle	6 February 2022	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
London Film Festival	17 October 2021	Best Film	Paolo Sorrentino	Nominated
Middleburg Film Festival	21 October 2021	International Spotlight Award	Paolo Sorrentino	Won
Mill Valley Film Festival	17 October 2021	Festival Award	Paolo Sorrentino & Filippo Scotti	Won
Music City Film Critics Association	25 January 2022	Best International Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
Newport Beach Film Festival	28 October 2021	Best International Film	Paolo Sorrentino	Won
North American Film Critic Association	6 February 2022	Best Cinematography	Daria D Antonio	Nominated
		Best Foreign Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
North Dakota Film Society Awards	17 January 2022	Best International Feature	The Hand of God	Nominated
Palm Springs International Film Festival	28 October 2021	Best Foreign Language Film	Paolo Sorrentino	Nominated
Phoenix Critics Circle	18 December 2021	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards	18 December 2021	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Won
Robert Awards	6 February 2022	Best Non-English Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
Satellite Awards	2 April 2022	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
Seattle Film Critics Society	17 January 2022	Best Foreign Language Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
Set Decorators Society of America	22 February 2022	Best Achievement in Decor/Design of a Feature Film – Contemporary	Iole Autero & Carmine Guarino	Nominated
South African Online Film Critics	29 December 2021	Best International Feature Film	The Hand of God	Won
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards	19 December 2021	Best International Film	The Hand of God	Runner-up
Sydney Film Festival	15 November 2021	Best Film	Paolo Sorrentino	Nominated
Turkish Film Critics Association	17 January 2022	Best Streaming Film	The Hand of God	Nominated
Venice Film Festival	11 September 2021	Golden Lion	Paolo Sorrentino	Nominated
		Grand Jury Prize	Paolo Sorrentino	Won
		Marcello Mastroianni Award	Filippo Scotti	Won
		Pasinetti Award for Best Film	Paolo Sorrentino	Won
		Pasinetti Award for Best Actress	Teresa Saponangelo	Won

Year	2021
ReleaseDate	2021-12-15
RuntimeMins	130
RuntimeStr	2h 10min
Plot	In 1980s Naples, young Fabietto pursues his love for football as family tragedy strikes, shaping his uncertain but promising future as a filmmaker.
Awards	Nominated for 1 Oscar, 26 wins & 61 nominations total
Directors	Paolo Sorrentino
Writers	Paolo Sorrentino
Stars	Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo
Produced by	Mattia Cantore D Amore,Gennaro Formisano,Lorenzo Mieli,Riccardo Neri,Paolo Maria Pedullà,Elena Recchia,Paolo Sorrentino
Music by	Lele Marchitelli
Cinematography by	Daria D Antonio
Film Editing by	Cristiano Travaglioli
Casting By	Massimo Appolloni,Annamaria Sambucco
Production Design by	Carmine Guarino
Art Direction by	Saverio Sammali
Set Decoration by	Iole Autero
Costume Design by	Mariano Tufano
Makeup Department	Federico Carretti,Tony Esposito,Rosa Falco,Vincenzo Mastrantonio,Peter Nicastro,Marco Perna
Production Management	Mattia Cantore D Amore,Franco Casellato,Ferdinando Cocco,Giuseppe Di Gangi,Alex Marano,Valeria Marcon,Marcos Vacalebre
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director	Jacopo Bonvicini,Francesco Coppola,Edoardo Francesco Marini,Ardalan Nabavinejad,Mario Ricci
Art Department	Davide Imparato,Denise Montagnaro,Amedeo Palazzi,Giuliana Pavesi,Valerio Romano
Sound Department	Emanuele Cecere,Matteo Eusepi,Mauro Eusepi,Gabriele Fasano,Michele Mazzucco,Silvia Moraes,Mirko Perri,Alessandro Quaglio,Francesco Sabez,Michele Saldarella,Dahlia Salem,Paolo Testa
Special Effects by	Pasquale Catalano,Paolo Galiano,Fabio Traversari
Visual Effects by	David Catalano,Andrea Cigognetti,Matteo Cricenti,Luigi Dal Bò,Lena Di Gennaro,Paolo Di Gioia,Alessandro Di Leva,Federica Franceschi,Andrea Geremia,Rodolfo Migliari,Francesco Niolu,Alessio Oliverio,Sara Paesani,Elisa Petrelli,Roberto Saba,Luca Scintu,Alessio Seminerio,Daniele Starnoni,Francesco Zecchinelli
Stunts	Simula Alessandro,Massimiliano Bianchi,Gianni Biasetti Sr.,Dimo Lipitkovsky,Lubomir Misak,Giorgio Savino
Camera and Electrical Department	Alessandro Biagioli,Cristiano Biagioli,Alessandro Brambilla,Francesco Buonocore,Paolo Cafiero,Cristian D Alessio,Elena de Santis,Daniele Di Russo,Riccardo Filippini,Tonia Forte,Alessio Galasso,Salvatore Landi,Massimo Marvulli,Marco Palmieri,Fabio Policastro,Daniel Rizzoni,Maria Pia Ruggiero,Alberto Viavattene
Casting Department	Vanja Borozan,Giuseppe Maria Martino,Dorit Simone,Alessandra Troisi
Costume and Wardrobe Department	Alessandra Carta,Giorgia Chiavelli,Giada Lombino,Francesco Luperini,Neva Viale
Editorial Department	Angela Anzelmo,Rosario Balistreri,Federica Forcesi,Andrea Orsini,Andrea Pallini,Barbara Ruggeri
Location Management	Michela Giovinetti,Sabina Tornatore
Script and Continuity Department	Barbara Greco
Additional Crew	Greta Acerbi,Massimo Aversano,Camilla Benvenuti,Federica Ceraolo,Maria Circelli,Camilla Di Nicola,Diletta Drago,Vincenzo Filippo,Matilde Giannì,Chiara Imbriale,Virginia Jewiss,Daniela Merlo,Mauro Monachini,Dario Morelli,Aylam Orian,Laura Paluzzi,Giovanna Rucci,Benedetta Staglianò,Gian Marco Tofanelli,Alberto Viavattene
Thanks	Massimiliano Attolini,Peppe Attolini,Vincenzo Capuano,Roberto Turtur Minutillo
Genres	Drama
Companies	The Apartment, Netflix, Regione Campania
Countries	Italy, USA
Languages	Italian, Neapolitan
ContentRating	R
ImDbRating	7.3
ImDbRatingVotes	41675
MetacriticRating	76
Keywords	1980s,coming of age,naples italy,family relationships,teenage boy