Daniel Pennac: Ho visto Maradona!

Rehearsals for a play about Maradona in Naples, with Italian actors and an Argentine director. Nothing about Maradona except anecdotes about his figure from the Neapolitans; one of the actors had come to play football. They were all 'touched' by Maradona, as is logical. Pennac is very intelligent, but he has never seen a ball in his life: his fascination comes from the public figure of Maradona, from the totem, from the stupor that invaded him when many friends confessed to having cried at his death. The spectator, Maradonian or not, has an irrepressible desire to travel to Naples and join the song that he sees towards the end of the film, which is moving and overwhelming in its beauty and simplicity. Ideal for theater lovers, or Maradona lovers, or both.

Directed by Ximo Solano, Daniel Pennac: Ho visto Maradona! leans on a strong ensemble — Daniel Pennac, Maurizio De Giovanni, Roberto Saviano — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2022.