Preview by Jon Donnis
Vue Lumière has confirmed the UK and Ireland cinema release of Diamanti, the latest feature from director Ferzan Özpetek. A major box office success in Italy, where it grossed more than €16 million, the film arrives with strong momentum behind it. Set in the 1970s, it stands as a lavish tribute to cinematic costume design and to the women whose craftsmanship gives films their texture, beauty and emotional weight.
Starring Luisa Ranieri and Jasmine Trinca, the story centres on two dressmaker sisters who run a prestigious Roman fashion house. Their professional world is thrown into sharp focus when they are tasked with fulfilling an intricate commission for an Oscar winning costume designer. What follows is a portrait of creativity under pressure, as skill, ambition and loyalty intertwine within a workspace dominated by women, where the hum of sewing machines becomes its own kind of soundtrack.
The film unfolds through the perspective of a director gathering his favourite actresses with the intention of making a film about women. He reveals little at first, choosing instead to observe and draw inspiration, until imagination transports them into another era. In this imagined past, cinema is explored from the viewpoint of costume, shifting attention away from the usual focal points and towards the artistry that often remains unseen.
As reality and fiction begin to overlap, the emotional lives of the actresses echo those of their characters. Themes of loneliness, passion, rivalry and sisterhood surface alongside unbreakable bonds and quiet heartbreak. Diamanti not only celebrates fashion and film, it reframes the way stories are told, offering audiences in the UK and Ireland the chance to experience a richly layered Italian success that honours the invisible craft behind the screen.
DIAMANTI will have a preview screening on Wednesday 15 April at Cine Lumiere, followed by a Q&A with Ferzan Özpetek. Further details and tickets can be booked here: https://www.institut-francais.org.uk/cinema/diamanti/
