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PRODUCTION Italy

Francesco Mandelli shoots Bene ma non benissimo

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- The actor-screenwriter who gave us I soliti idioti turns director with a comedy about bullying at school, spearheaded by young actress Francesca Giordano and produced by Viva Productions

Francesco Mandelli shoots Bene ma non benissimo
Actor-writer-director Francesco Mandelli

A story about school bullying that has a happy ending is the subject of Bene ma non benissimo [+see also:
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, a film heralding the directorial debut of actor, screenwriter and TV presenter Francesco Mandelli (I soliti idioti [+see also:
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, Natale col boss [+see also:
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La solita commedia - Inferno [+see also:
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, the latter co-directed with Fabrizio Biggio), produced by Pier Paolo Piastra for Viva Productions and co-produced by Riccardo Neri, Fabio Troiano and Vincenzo Terracciano. Shooting began on Saturday 21 April in Turin for this comedy featuring super-young actress Francesca Giordano (La mafia uccide solo d’estate - La serie), alongside Ian Schevchenko. The remainder of the cast includes the likes of Euridice Axen, Gioele Dix, Giordano De Plano, Gisella Donadoni, Ugo Conti, Rosario Terranova, Emanuele Succa, Luca Zunic, Francesco Bottin, and also features rapper Shade, playing himself in a cameo role.

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Written by Fabio Troiano, Vincenzo Terraccianoand Laura Sabatino, Bene ma non benissimo tells the story of Candida, a plump adolescent whose mother died some time ago and who lives with her father, Salvo, in a small village in the South. She is besotted with famous rapper Shade whose addictive beats she dances along to at every opportunity. When she finds herself having to move to Turin with her dad, Candida must come to terms with her new life. But life in Turin turns out to be trickier than she thought, especially when it comes to the biggest challenge of all: fitting into a new school half-way through the school year, where she ends up the butt of her new classmates’ jokes. Candida does, however, strike up a friendship with Jacopo, an introverted little man who is bullied by the rest of the class. Only Candida can bring a smile to his eyes and in no time at all, they go from from being classmates to becoming an inseparable duo. For Candida, Turin is transformed into something of a magical city to be explored with her new friend. Jacopo’s wealthy entrepreneur father, however, doesn’t approve of their friendship and is convinced that Candida is using his son. But the time comes when he is forced to question his assumptions. 

Shooting for the film, sponsored by the City of Turin and the Turin Piedmont Film Commission, will take place almost entirely in Turin and is due to wrap at the end of May.

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(Translated from Italian)

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