Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore‘s docufilm “Brunello: The Gracious Visionary” — about Brunello Cucinelli, the fashion designer known as Italy’s “King of Cashmere” — has been acquired for North American distribution by Blue Fox Entertainment. A U.S. premiere is planned in New York on April 14.
“Brunello: The Gracious Visionary” chronicles Cucinelli’s rise from being a farmer’s son to becoming the creative director and executive chairman of a global luxury lifestyle brand with a market capitalization of more than $7.8 billion. The elegant film stars “Love & Gelato” breakout Saul Nanni as a younger version of Cucinelli and features a score by Oscar-winning composer Nicola Piovani (“Life Is Beautiful”).
“The Gracious Visionary” interweaves documentary and reenacted components to tell the story of how his mindset was shaped by learning philosophy, playing cards and the generosity of others.
Cucinelli, who was born in the ancient Umbrian hamlet of Castel Rigone in 1953, founded his company in 1978 and became successful by dyeing cashmere in “pop colors” at a time when, as he has put it, there was no colored cashmere for women. The docufilm, which was shot in Umbria, depicts key moments in his career, showcasing his passion for Italian craftsmanship and commitment to a concept he calls “humanistic capitalism,” under which every stitch of clothing his company creates is made in Italy and mostly in the area where he comes from. Cucinelli also makes sure his factory workers are paid fair wages and feel like family. He has completely renovated the Italian village of Solomeo that is home to his headquarters.
In an interview with Variety, Cucinelli — who mostly self-financed the $17 million docufilm — said he had hoped to share his life story while he was still around to see its ripple effects. “These documentaries are made after people have died. Some of the ones I’ve seen are of people that I have known — I don’t like them very much,” Cucinelli said. “They are not as profound as the value of the human being.”
The docufilm is produced by Brunello Cucinelli S.p.A. and MasiFilm in collaboration with RAI Cinema.
“The Gracious Visionary” opened in Italy on Dec. 9 via RAI Cinema’s 01 Distribution and did brisk business at the box office, scoring more than $1 million during its limited seven-day run. The Italian release of “The Gracious Visionary” was preceded by a star-studded gala at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios that drew some of the biggest names in cinema, including Jessica Chastain, Jonathan Bailey, Ava DuVernay, Jeff Goldblum, Chris Pine, Édgar Ramírez and Kyle MacLachlan.
It will be interesting to see the star power on display on the red carpet at the April 14 U.S. premiere of “Brunello: The Gracious Visionary” in New York, to be followed by its release across more than 100 screens throughout North America later that spring.
“We are thrilled to partner with Blue Fox Entertainment for the North American release of ‘Brunello: The Gracious Visionary,'” said Edoardo Bussi, founder and CEO at Twenty-Nine Palms Entertainment, which is handling sales on the film. Bussi added that as a distributor, “Blue Fox stood out for their unique ability to bridge the gap between high-calibre cinematic storytelling and a broad commercial audience.”
He added, “Their expertise in managing carefully-timed theatrical windows and their deep understanding of the North American market make them the perfect fit to bring Giuseppe Tornatore’s masterful vision of Brunello Cucinelli’s life to the States.”
Bussi, who soft-launched sales on “Brunello: The Gracious Visionary” in Toronto, will now be selling the docufilm in earnest at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.
Commented Blue Fox Entertainment’s Lisa Gutberlet and David Hudakoc: “We are honored to partner with the filmmakers of ‘Brunello: The Gracious Visionary’ to bring this remarkable work to audiences across North America. The film transcends traditional documentary form, offering a cinematic exploration of humanism, craftsmanship and enduring beauty — values that sit at the very heart of cultural and creative excellence.”
Blue Fox Entertainment’s recent U.S. releases include German animated feature “Tahiti: Across the Desert,” the sci-fi adventure “Xeno” produced by Kevin Hart and survival drama “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” produced by Sylvester Stallone.
English (US) ·