An invitation to travel

From her birth in the 1950s to the present day, the life of Parthenope, a woman as ravishing as she is intelligent who electrifies all those lucky enough to cross her path, resembles a long and fascinating emotional journey. A fierce lover of freedom, she searches for happiness and love on the outskirts of Naples, a magical city that opens onto a whirlwind of passions and mysteries...

After Rome in ‘La Grande Bellezza’, Paolo Sorrentino declares his love for the city of Naples in ‘Parthenope’, a new Fellini-inspired work of hypnotic beauty presented in Competition at Cannes in 2024. Haunted by the legendary myth of the mermaid, this allegorical tale of apprenticeship and solar disenchantment magnifies in excess the quest for self of a woman experiencing life without ever escaping the gaze of others.

In the role of the bewitching and heroic Parthenope, the young Celeste Dalla Porta is the film's dazzling revelation. Alongside her is a deeply moving Gary Oldman as the fallen writer.

A true declaration of love to Naples

Film review by Hugues Dayez