LA VALLE DEI SORRISI (THE HOLY BOY) by Paolo Strippoli

Running time: 127 mins

Remis is a small village nestled in a secluded valley in the mountains. Its inhabitants are all unusually happy. It seems the perfect destination for new PE teacher Sergio Rossetti, haunted by a mysterious past. Thanks to an encounter with Michela, the young owner of the village inn, the teacher discovers that behind the seeming peacefulness lies a disturbing ritual: one night a week, the villagers gather to hug Matteo Corbin, a teenager capable of absorbing the pain of others. Sergio?s attempt to save the young man will awaken the dark side of the man everyone calls the Angel of Remis. Paolo Strippoli (born in 1993 in Corato, Puglia) is an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his work in genre cinema, especially horror and psychological thrillers. After winning the Franco Solinas award for best story, in 2021 he co‑directed with Roberto De Feo the film A Classic Horror Story, and made the horror Flowing (2022). In 2025 he presented his film The holy boy out of competition at the Venice Film Festival.