Ischia Global Fest 2026: NEL TEPORE DEL BALLO

Cinema Excelsior

Free admission while seats are available.

10:45 PM – NEL TEPORE DEL BALLO (A Dance for Warmth) by Pupi Avati – 107 min

SYNOPSIS
In the Warmth of the Dance, directed by Pupi Avati, tells the story of Gianni Riccio (Massimo Ghini), a celebrated television host who has built his career through strategy, charisma, and the meticulous management of his public image.
Behind his dazzling smile, however, Gianni hides a painful past. His mother, Aurora, died giving birth to him, and his father abandoned him shortly afterward. Raised by a devoted aunt who did her best to fill the void left by his parents, Gianni grows up determined to leave his past behind. At the height of his success, surrounded by trusted collaborators and convinced that he is untouchable, his world suddenly collapses. During a trip from Rome to Milan, he is arrested on charges of corruption and tax fraud.
The scandal destroys his reputation, exposes him to public scrutiny, and forces him to confront the compromises that fueled his rise, the shadows he chose to ignore, and the fragile foundations of the media empire he built.
Yet his downfall also becomes an opportunity for redemption. Forced to return to his roots, Gianni retraces the paths of his childhood and comes face to face with wounds that never truly healed. An unexpected reunion with a former love opens the door to a new sense of awareness and the possibility of change.
In this deeply personal journey, a man is finally compelled to look at himself without the protection of cameras or the spotlight, searching for a new identity after losing everything he once believed defined him.