Overview & Context
The filming of Diamanti (2024) began on October 4, 2022, and filming locations include Bologna and Rome. Its world premiere is scheduled for the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. As always, Ferzan approached the project by a passion, and the film is both a colorful tribute and a joyful celebration of the mysterious webs of women who make all the magic of film behind the magic of film. It tells the story of the costume designer of the film, that is, a designer who dresses the actors and actresses in stylish clothes for the movie, and that story takes place in a workshop in Rome. The film tells a story through the lens of culture and the privileged fascination of certain segments of the Italian women. The film caters to the smaller segment of Italian society who has privileged access to the best services in and out of Italy. It reflects the Italian society who has wealth, power, opportunity, and travelling preferences. Its elegance narrates the story of a enriched Italian society that the world is interested to hear about.
Plot Summary
Elena Sofia Ricci has been in the Italian filmography for a long time now. Özpetek casts long-admired actresses and actors and some of the new faces for the richer versions of the two great, yet shallow, the great shallow dual women in the society. He used to assemble them and pretending to give them some new pieces of script that will bloom and enrich it. The first act of the and the centerpiece of the film is the readings of scripts. Through far it may look Iliadic for other, it is the wonder of and the linchpin that gives ideals and metaphoric unity of the story. It gives the film bouquet and for some, it may be its focal odour.
The narrative then takes us to Rome in 1974. Alberta and Gabriella run a successful costume shop that does work for movies and plays. The workshop is populated by a rich tapestry of women, each struggling with personal problems that the story blends together with understanding and wit. Nina is a head seamstress whose son is trapped in a dazed, catatonic state; Eleonora, a widow, conceals her activist niece Beatrice in the workshop. Paolina is a single mother; Nicoletta is a wife abused by her husband; Fausta is a vivid spirited woman who is funny and kindly; Giuseppina is a new apprentice; Silvana is a former dancer who is the cook in the workshop and offers motherly comfort and warmth.
Bianca Vega, a real-life Oscar-winning costume designer, adds to the story tension with a new order for costumes for a major production. Alberta and Gabriella run a successful costume shop that does work for movies and plays. Their dominating deadlines and expectations of polished work escalate the pressure far beyond what is bearable. The women, however, despite the pressure, are kind, encourage each other, and show togetherness. Nina’s son speaks for the first time, Eleonora’s niece reveals a talent, Alberta’s son finds acceptance from Paolina, and then Nicoletta liberates from her violent husband.
The sisters Gabriella and Alberta encounter emotional fractures: Alberta meets a long-ago ex who left her, and Gabriella admits that she deeply feels unworthy, perpetual self-loathing, regardless of all her achievements. The atelier’s anniversary celebration marks a turning point: all the women spend the night working to transform Bianca’s costume sketch into a real outfit, and the outcome is simply divine—the process eclipses the result, and the beauty of the collective creation overrides all the emotional lows in the film.
The modern day sequences complete the circularity: Özpetek is wandering around empty sets, reliving feelings, memories, and retrieving remnants—like a child’s sphere—that connect the storyline to his past. In the end, Ricci joins him, and together they embody the concluding quote: “cinema’s magic lies not in what you see, but in what you feel,” which captures the film’s essence in a single sentence. The film is a tribute to the iconic Italian actresses Mariangela Melato, Virna Lisi, Monica Vitti, and to all women.
Cast & Crew
Italy is home to the film’s acclaimed cast, including
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Luisa Ranieri as Alberta CanovaJasmine Trinca as Gabriella CanovaStefano AccorsiLuca BarbarossaSara BosiLoredana CannataGeppi CucciariAnna FerzettiAurora GiovinazzoNicole GrimaudoMilena ManciniVinicio MarchioniPaola MinaccioniElena Sofia Ricci (herself)Lunetta SavinoVanessa ScaleraCarla SignorisKasia SmutniakMara VenierGiselda VolodiMilena VukoticFerzan Özpetek (in a meta-role)
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Collaborating on the script were Ferzan Özpetek, Carlotta Corradi, and Elisa Casseri. Gian Filippo Corticelli was responsible for cinematography, while Pietro Morana took care of editing. Giuliano Taviani and Carmelo Travia composed the film’s score. Greenboo Production, Faros Film, and Vision Distribution collaborated with Sky to produce the film. Giorgia sings the theme song “Diamanti,” marking a 21-year reunion with Özpetek since Facing Windows.
Production & Release
Rome served as the single film location, with Testaccio as the primary area of focus. Filming started early July and concluded late August 2024. The production worked in tandem with the historic Sartoria Tirelli, gaining access to original pieces as well as replicating a dramatic costume, including a bright red dress made with over 160 meters of fabric and a theatrical costume with eight meters of crinoline.
On December 19, 2024, the film debuted in Italian cinemas. It was later broadcasted on Sky Cinema on April 20, 2025.
Reception & Box Office
Diamanti was a massive domestic success, grossing over €16 million in Italy alone and becoming the best earning Italian film in 2024. It was also the most successful film of Özpetek’s career, surpassing Aching Daughters and other titles. It has collected more than 2 million admissions and around 19 million dollars worldwide, which is incredible achievement for a Italian dramedy.
As for critics, they responded warmly, praising its nostalgic tone and the ensemble cast. On IMDb, the film holds a score of 6.8/10 From Around 1,700 ratings. One of the reviewers also went on to describe it, “Vintage popcorn melodrama filled with love for the unseen women who toiled in the shadows during the golden age of cinema.” While the film was criticized for lack of structure, the overwhelming praise for the film’s emotional depth, rich costumes, and craftsmanship string it all together. It has received a lot of love from audiences and many praise it Özpetek’s most heartfelt film.
Thematic Analysis & Significance
Diamonds is a film that explores the articulated the art of costume creation. It is a celebration of the unnoticed women’s work that is reclaiming invisibility. It honors those women who sew in silence and endure these shared personal hardships. The 1970s Paris couture house serves as a setting that feels alive. It is a microcosm of female strength and vulnerability.
The comedy and melodrama spectrum in the film is achieved through the combination of interwoven narratives and through character arc development: a headstrong single mother and her sheltered niece, a talented aunt, and a battered wife who is on a quest to reclaim her courage. The film also uses the theatrical technique of reading scenes to blend reality and creation, inviting the audience to think—and in the process, think of the emotional legacy in the film.
The film resonated with audiences, evidenced by the critical and financial success it received. It is particularly potent in the current cultural moment which recognizes female stories centered on woman solidarity. It gives a sense of warmth and nostalgia, but also reminds women that the quiet power of collaboration, creation, and memory has the ability to heal and motivate.
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