Samantha Casella at Cannes with "The Tenderness of the Serpent": Variety celebrates the new film and the conclusion of the Subconscious Trilogy.

CANNES – The Cannes Film Festival once again becomes the international stage for independent Italian cinema. Among the events that have attracted the attention of industry insiders and the specialized press, the presence of director and actress Samantha Casella stands out. She was a guest of the prestigious American magazine Variety on the occasion of the conclusion of filming on her new feature film. The tenderness of the snake.

The project represents one of the most anticipated works in the Italian filmmaker's artistic career and concludes a creative journey that began years ago. To celebrate the end of filming, the renowned international magazine, in collaboration with Wild Filmmaker – a community dedicated to independent cinema – has dedicated a special page to Casella, officially announcing the film's imminent release, which will be distributed internationally under the title The Serpent's Caress.

For the occasion, Samantha Casella attended the Cannes events wearing a Giorgio Armani dress, consolidating a presence that combines cinema, artistic vision, and international attention for a production destined to make waves.

Variety calls the film “hypnotic and visionary”

Interest in the work already appears high. Variety described The tenderness of the snake like a movie:

“hypnotic and visionary, it penetrates the darkness of the human soul, revolving around themes such as guilt, sacrifice, death, rebirth and eternal love.”

A definition that anticipates the highly symbolic and psychological nature of the project, confirming the authorial imprint that Samantha Casella has built throughout her career.

The feature film does not in fact represent an isolated work, but constitutes the final chapter of the so-called Subconscious Trilogy, a cinematic journey that explores the deepest and darkest territories of the human psyche.

The conclusion of the Subconscious Trilogy

The trilogy originated with Holy War and continued with Katabasis, a work directed and performed by Casella herself, capable of achieving extraordinary results on the international festival circuit.

The numbers achieved by Katabasis they represented a rare case in the panorama of contemporary independent cinema: in addition 700 international awards, among which 151 awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role e 138 awards for directing, results that consolidated the director's international reputation.

With The tenderness of the snake This concludes an artistic journey that has built a personal language made of visionary atmospheres, symbolism and psychological immersion.

An international cast of returning stars and new faces

One of the central elements of the new production is the presence of a rich cast of performers from different artistic backgrounds.

Next to Samantha Casella we find Bruno Bilotta, an actor with an international career who over the years has shared the set with names of the caliber of Anthony Hopkins, Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Bilotta will also appear in the next Resurrection by Mel Gibson, a project particularly anticipated by international audiences.

Among the most significant aspects of the film also stands out the return to the big screen of Laura Trotter, an iconic figure of Italian cinema who returns to acting after an absence of about thirty years.

To complete the picture there is also the absolute debut in front of the camera of Gina Rose Pieri, which supports a group of interpreters composed of:

• Francesca Rettondini
• Vanessa Marini
• Barbara Bovoli
• Angela Tuccia

A heterogeneous composition that promises to give further narrative depth to the project.

Music by the composers of Martin Scorsese's "Silence"

Great attention was also paid to the musical sector. The original soundtracks were composed by Kim and Kathryn Kluge, musicians known internationally for having worked on the music of Silence, the film directed by Martin Scorsese.

This choice confirms the desire to create a work with a strong sensorial component, where image, sound, and emotional dimension merge into an immersive experience.

The plot of "The Tenderness of the Serpent"

The story revolves around Sofia, protagonist who receives a mysterious script.

The story unfolds within the text of an ancient matriarchal community ruled by a witch who demands human sacrifices. As the book progresses, Sofia realizes that what she's reading isn't just a fictional story.

The story begins to intertwine with her own existence, dragging her down a path where the boundaries between reality, memory, and dream dimension progressively dissolve until everything turns into a nightmare suspended in time.

A narrative construction that recalls the psychological and symbolic atmospheres typical of Samantha Casella's cinema.

Samantha Casella: "My most violent and sentimental film"

The director herself explained the emotional heart of the project:

"It's perhaps my most violent and at the same time sentimental film. It addresses the theme of eternal return through a bond of love between two women, a profound relationship that encompasses both maternal and sexual aspects."

A statement that hints at an intense and complex narrative, centered on profound emotional dynamics and the relationship between love, identity, and the cyclical nature of existence.

New international projects: Samantha Casella will fly to Barcelona

The director's international career won't end with the film's release.

In June Samantha Casella will be busy in Barcelona filming Habitation for a film, a project directed by David Valverde which represents a further step in the artistic and international growth of the Italian filmmaker.

Her presence at Cannes and the support of an influential organization like Variety confirm how Samantha Casella continues to strengthen her profile in the global film scene, consolidating an independent path that has garnered international attention, recognition, and interest in recent years.