At the beginning of April, on April 3 to be exact, the Anteo Palazzo del Cinema hosted the special screening of Le Assaggiatrici, the premiere of the new film by Silvio Soldini, produced by Lumière & Co. in association with Anteo. The film, based on the novel having the same title by Rosella Postorino (Campiello Prize 2018), has been chosen as the opening film of BIFEST 2025.
The historic collaboration between Anteo and Lumière & Co.
After the screening, the audience had the opportunity to attend a special Cinema Lesson with director Silvio Soldini and producer Lionello Cerri, in dialogue with Mattia Carzaniga. An unmissable opportunity to explore the creative and productive path of the film.
For the first time in 45 years of activity, Anteo has supported the production of a film, marking a historic turning point for the Milanese cinema. The birth of the project dates back to 2018, when Cristiana Mainardi, co-producer, read the novel during a train journey between Rome and Milan. Even before the book won the Campiello Prize, the cinematic potential of the story was clear, giving rise to the collaboration between Anteo and Lumière & Co.
A historical drama of strong impact
The film is set in the autumn of 1943, on the edge of Hitler’s “Wolf’s Den”. Rosa and other young women are selected by the SS to become the Führer’s tasters, forced to test food to avoid poisoning attempts.
In daily terror, alliances, friendships and betrayals are created, while the group of women faces the inner conflict between survival and conscience.
The heart of the film is precisely this: a group of women forced into a room around a set table. There, between fear and complicity, their existence is at stake” – Silvio Soldini
Food as a symbol of life and threat
The very meals which are supposed to nourish represent a constant danger of death, accentuating the climate of tension and mistrust. In the film, food takes on a central role, becoming at the same time a symbol of life and threat. The daily gesture of eating is transformed into an act of courage, in which every bite can be the last. Through this paradox, Soldini explores the fragility of existence and the delicate balance between survival instinct and human solidarity.
An international cast for an Italian-European production
The film “Le Assaggiatrici” boasts a predominantly German cast, with Elisa Schlott, Max Riemelt and Alma Hasun in the leading roles. The story was written by Cristiana Comencini, Giulia Calenda and Ilaria Macchia, while the production involved film companies from Italy, Belgium and Switzerland.
Programming in Anteo cinemas
After the preview at the Anteo Palazzo del Cinema, Le Assaggiatrici is also scheduled in the original language with Italian subtitles and in the Nobel room, as well as at CityLife Anteo. Distributed by Vision Distribution, the film officially arrived in Italian cinemas after its presentation at the Bari International Film & TV Festival 2025.
An unmissable event for lovers of auteur cinema and stories that know how to excite and make you think.
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