Footballer Diego Maradona has a profound impact on the life of a young man in the first teaser for director Paolo Sorrentino’s new Netflix film, The Hand Of God.
In the trailer, crowds of people are seen cheering on Maradona and calling him a “giant” after he scores a goal during a football match.
Oscar-winning director Sorrentino, who wrote and directed the Italian drama, returned to his hometown of Naples in Italy to make what is described as his “most personal story”.
The Hand Of God explores the story of an awkward Italian teenager, Fabietto Schisa, whose life and family are suddenly upended after a shocking accident. Football star Maradona inadvertently saves Schisa and sets the teen’s future in motion.
The trailer moves between Italian scenery, family engagements and moments of the protagonist exploring a film set.
Within the teaser, one character asks the young teen “do you have a story to tell?”. He replies “yes” and is told, “then spit it out!”.
The movie will explore fate, family, sports, cinema, love and loss.
Speaking with Variety in 2015, Sorrentino said: “Aside from all the things I’ve said before about Maradona, he involuntarily saved my life.
“I lost my parents when I was 16 in an accident with the heating system in a house in the mountains where I always used to go to with them.
“That weekend, I didn’t go because I wanted to go watch Maradona and S.S.C Napoli play a match in Empoli, and that saved me.”
Sorrentino has been behind the direction of many acclaimed films, including The Consequences Of Love, The Family Friend, Il Divo, and he created the Emmy-nominated TV series, The Young Pope.
He also won the Oscar, Golden Globe and Bafta award for best foreign language film for his Italian drama The Great Beauty.
The phrase “the hand of God” was used by the late Maradona to describe a goal he scored against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals.
The Argentine footballer should have received a yellow card for using his hand but as referees did not have a clear view it was allowed.
He said afterwards that the goal was scored “a little with his head, and a little with the hand of God”.
The film will star Filippo Scotti as the lead Fabietto Schisa, and Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo and Marlon Joubert will play Schisa’s family.
The Hand Of God will be released on Netflix on December 15th.
