Born in Naples in 1970, the screenwriter and director Paolo Sorrentino studied business and economics before deciding to pursue a career in filmmaking. His first full-length feature, L’Uomo in Più, was selected for the Venice Film Festival in 2001; in 2008 Il Divo won the Prix du Jury at the Festival de Cannes. In recent years, his films have garnered multiple international awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Bafta Award for La Grande Bellezza (2014); in 2022 he won the Leone d’Argento (Silver Lion) at 2021 Venice film festival, for The Hand of God.