“Joie de vivre” is an expression that Bernardo Bertolucci was especially fond of. He often used it to describe both the lightness that makes life beautiful and, at the same time, the joy and beauty of making cinema. The documentary begins with my personal experience of Bernardo and his work, then broadens into a conversation with a number of close collaborators and passionate admirers. Together, we will explore the legacy of Bertolucci’s cinema: how his films can transform the way people think about cinema, especially those who have yet to discover them – and why certain long-standing interpretations of his work have been profoundly short-sighted and ultimately mistaken. It is a long journey that hops from one place to another around the world, meeting Bertolucci’s longtime producer, Jeremy Thomas, as well as other incredible filmmakers and film experts and lovers who share the same ambition Bernardo had: the courage to see cinema not merely as something regional or national, but as something cosmopolitan and borderless.

DIRECTOR'S NOTES:
The film will be a love letter to Bernardo Bertolucci, one of the most celebrated and influential filmmakers of the twentieth century. It will be an intimate journey into his cinema, his artistic vision and the life that shaped them both. The documentary will also be enriched by the participation of some of the most distinguished voices in contemporary cinema. Bernardo Bertolucci’s work has left an indelible mark on generations of filmmakers, from his peers to those who came after him. It is from this enduring legacy that the idea emerged to invite several of them to share their memories, reflections and personal perspectives, weaving their voices into a portrait of the man and the artist whose influence continues to resonate across world cinema.