Three Floors

LONG
SYNOPSIS

Three families live in a three-story building. Over a ten year period, life forces the characters to deal with conflicts that affect the relationships between siblings, parents and children, husbands and wives. The choices each of them makes reflect universal moral issues and have repercussions on their lives.

On the first floor, Lucio and Sara's family is shocked by Lucio's doubts about what really happened to his seven-year-old daughter Francesca the night she got lost with the elderly neighbor looking after her. Over time, his doubts become fear and eventually turn into a desperate obsession that destroys the lives of Lucio and his family.

On the second floor, Monica, Giorgio and their daughter Beatrice walk the fine line separating rationality from imagination when Monica is troubled by the arrival of Roberto, her brother-in-law. While Giorgio is away, Monica discovers that Roberto is the tranquil, attentive type she had always wanted to marry. When Giorgio returns, he finds Monica confused and unable to explain what really happened with his brother. Giorgio realizes that from now on, he'll no longer be able to leave her on her own. But perhaps it's too late anyway.

Dora is a judge, like her husband Vittorio. They live on the top floor of the building with their twenty-year-old son, Andrea. One night, Andrea, drunk, drives his car, hits a woman and kills her. The tension between father and son explodes and becomes a rift. Andrea ends up in prison and Vittorio forces Dora to make a painful choice: it's either him or their son. Dora stays with Vittorio until he dies and only then recognizes it's time to go her own way.

FILMOGRAPHY &
COMMENTS

FILMOGRAPHY OF

NANNI MORETTI

1976 I AM SELF-SUFFICIENT
1978 ECCE BOMBO
1981 SWEET DREAMS
1984 BIANCA
1985 THE MASS IS OVER
1989 RED LOB
1993 DEAR DIARY
1998 APRIL
2001 THE SON'S ROOM
2006 THE CAIMAN
2011 HABEMUS PAPAM
2015 MIA MADRE
2021 THREE FLOORS

SHORTS AND DOCUMENTARIES

1973 LA SCONFITTA
1973 PATÉ DE BOURGEOIS
1974 COME PARLI FRATE?
1990 LA COSA
1994 L’UNICO PAESE AL MONDO
1995 OPENING DAY OF CLOSE UP
2002 IL GRIDO D’ANGOSCIA DELL’UCCELLO PREDATORE
2003 THE LAST CUSTOMER
2007 L’ULTIMO CAMPIONATO
2007 DIARIO DI UNO SPETTATORE
2008 FILMQUIZ
2017 PIAZZA MAZZINI
2017 ISCHI ALLEGRI E CLAVICOLE SORRIDENTI
2018 SANTIAGO, ITALIA

ACTOR

1977 FATHER AND MASTER - Paolo & Vittorio Taviani
1988 IT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW - Daniele Luchetti
1991 THE YES MAN - Daniele Luchetti
1995 THE SECOND TIME - Mimmo Calopresti
2008 QUIET CHAOS - Antonello Grimaldi

COMMENTS OF

NANNI MORETTI

The film Three Floors is based on Eshkol Nevo’s novel Three Floors Up. Both tell the stories of three families who live in the same building, stories that address universal themes like guilt, the consequences of our choices, justice and the responsibility of being a parent. The characters are fragile and scared, driven by fears and obsessions, and they often end up taking extreme actions. Yet their emotional and sentimental motivations are always clear to us. While in the novel end at the height of their respective crises, in the film we considered it important to pursue the narratives to their conclusions, to explore the repercussions the characters' actions have on their own lives and those of their loved ones.

Each story develops as a film in its own right, before intertwining with one another. In the continuous shift from one character to another, suspending the narrative or adding scene transitions was never an option – every scene is fundamental. The depth of the themes addressed in the novel drove me to think the film should be reduced to the essential and dry in tone, not allowing for distractions or digressions.

At a time when there's so much debate about the environmental legacy we'll leave behind for our children, little is said about what we'll leave them in terms of ethical and moral heritage. Every gesture we make, even in the privacy of our own homes, has consequences that will affect future generations. Each of us must be aware of this fact and take responsibility for it: It's our actions that we bequeath to our children. This story describes how we tend to lead isolated lives, alienating ourselves from a community we're either no longer aware of, or that we consider disposable. Yet the stories show how much we're involved in a collective effort to feel ourselves as part of a community. The movie is an invitation to open up to the outside world that fills the streets beyond our domestic walls. Now it's up to us not to lock ourselves into one of these three floors.

COMMENTS OF THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK
“THREE FLOORS UP”

NO ONE WILL REMAIN INDIFFERENT
ESHKOL NEVO

The novel Three Floors Up wasn't written in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And Nanni Moretti's stunning movie version – Three Floors – was filmed, edited and ready for distribution before expressions like "lockdown", "social distancing" and "isolation" became everyday expressions. Yet when I first saw the film, I immediately thought its screening at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival had come at a truly appropriate time.

For a year and a half we were forced to keep our distance, forcibly separated from parents and friends for what seemed like an infinity. Three Floors jolts us into realizing just how blessed and how challenging close relationships are, whether for a couple, parents and children, or for neighbors. The terrible opening scene – in which a driver loses control of a car, crashes into a house and gets trapped within its walls – is the prelude to the plot and lives of the characters that repeatedly collide with one another. Sometimes it's an accident, at other times it brings redemption – but no one ever emerges unscathed.

Almost four years ago, an e-mail from one of my favorite film directors, Nanni Moretti, landed in my inbox. The message said he had read my novel and was wondering if I'd be willing to let him adapt it for a screenplay. I thought it was a joke, a fake Nanni Moretti. So I cautiously asked if he'd share his artistic vision with me.

In response, I received a detailed two-page document that explained the movie would be shot in Rome and, Moretti said, we'd have to weave the different sections of the book together more closely. The context would shift from Israel to Europe, but the director gave me his word that the adaptation wouldn't betray the essence of the novel.

The essence of my novel is dark, I thought to myself. A box-office film would distract the moviegoer from any pressing questions raised – about the dynamic in a couple or about relationships with children. But if there's anyone who could rise to the challenge, it'd certainly be the director of Dear Diary, The Son's Room, and Mia Madre.

I wrote to the real Nanni Moretti and gave him my blessing on the condition that I not be involved. I didn't want to read the script or approve the cast. I didn't want to be in the editing room. With previous adaptations of my books, my experience had been that the less involved I was in the process, the better.

In the end, all I asked of him was to be shown the final film.

I've seen it twice. Upon my first viewing, I was busy – perhaps too busy – looking for traces of my book in the film. Of course, I mostly noticed the changes that were made, regretting everything lost in the adaptation.

When I saw it a second time, I was freer to feel emotions. I allowed the film to penetrate and move me. I cried and laughed. I remembered the anxiety that had gripped me while writing the novel. I remembered the secret reasons that had led me to write it. When the credits rolled, I thought to myself: The director, screenwriters and actors weren't afraid. They looked deep into the darkest corners of the soul and cast the light of the magic cinema lantern over them. Might it sometimes be better for a child to end its relationship with its parents? How would a woman react if her husband forced her to choose between him and their child? Where's the fine line between a parent's healthy concern and their morbid obsession? What do our neighbors hide behind their closed doors? And what would we do if a black crow showed up in our home and refused to leave?

The film doesn't offer textbook answers to these questions. In fact, an honest work of art never delivers answers – it only raises more questions.

Ten years ago in my small studio in Israel, I wrote a book called Three Floors Up, which contained three distinct confessions made by three lonely sinners who all lived in the same building, but were unaware that they were all suffering.

The Three Floors film undoes this loneliness, interweaving the lives of the characters. It allows them to hurt and to heal each other, to bear grudges and to forgive. And it reminds us that our well-being is always, always tied to the well-being of others. And in light of this painful time we're living in, that's an important thing to remember.

MAIN CAST
BIOGRAPHY

MARGHERITA BUY (DORA)

LA SECONDA NOTTE N. Bizzarri (1986);
IT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW D. Luchetti (1988);
LA SETTIMANA DELLA SFINGE D. Luchetti (1990);
THE STATION S. Rubini (1990);
ASK FOR THE MOON G. Piccioni (1991);
MALEDETTO IL GIORNO CHE T’HO INCONTRATO C. Verdone (1992);
ARRIVA LA BUFERA D. Luchetti (1993);
COMINCIÒ TUTTO PER CASO U. Marino (1993);
CONDANNATO A NOZZE G. Piccioni (1993);
THE FAVORITE SON N. Garcia (1994);
PRESTAZIONE STRAORDINARIA S. Rubini (1994);
FOLLOW YOUR HEART C. Comencini (1996);
LOOKING FOR PARADISE M. Monicelli (1995);
BITS AND PIECES A. Grimaldi (1996);
AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT P. Pozzessere (1997);
NOT OF THIS WORLD G. Piccioni (1999);
DOLCE FAR NIENTE N. Caranfil (1999);
ALL THE LOVE THERE IS S. Rubini (2000);
AGAINST THE WIND P. Del Monte (2000);
HIS SECRET LIFE F. Ozpetek (2001);
THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE C. Comencini (2002);
WHAT FAULT IS IT OF OURS? C. Verdone (2003);
CATERINA IN THE BIG CITY P. Virzì (2003);
IL SIERO DELLA VANITÀ A. Infascelli (2004);
LOVE RETURNS S. Rubini (2004);
THE MANUAL OF LOVE G. Veronesi (2005);
THE DAYS OF ABANDONMENT R. Faenza (2005);
THE CAIMAN N. Moretti (2006);
COMMEDIASEXI A. D'Alatri (2006);
THE UNKNOWN WOMAN G. Tornatore (2006);
SATURN IN OPPOSITION F. Ozpetek (2007);
DAYS AND CLOUDS S. Soldini (2007);
THE LADIES GET THEIR SAY (2009);
THE WHITE SPACE F. Comencini (2009);
THE CEZANNE AFFAIR S. Rubini (2009);
HAPPY FAMILY G. Salvatores (2010);
PARENTS & CHILDREN G. Veronesi (2010);
WEDDINGS AND OTHER DISASTERS N. Di Majo (2010);
WE HAVE A POPE N. Moretti (2011);
LOVE IS IN THE AIR F. Brizzi (2012);
A MAGNIFICIENT HAUNTING F. Ozpetek (2012);
THE RED AND THE BLUE G. Piccioni (2012);
DISCOVERY AT DAWN S. Nicchiarelli (2013);
MI RIFACCIO VIVO S. Rubini (2013);
A FIVE STAR LIFE M. S. Tognazzi (2013);
LA GENTE CHE STA BENE F. Patierno (2014);
MIA MADRE N. Moretti (2015);
ME, MYSELF AND HER M. S. Tognazzi (2016);
QUESTI GIORNI G. Piccioni (2016);
HOW TO GROW UP DESPITE YOUR PARENTS L. Lucini (2016);
A POSSIBLE LIFE I. De Matteo (2016);
PARTNERS IN CRIME A. Infascelli (2018);
JUST BELIEVE A. Aronadio (2018);
THE KING'S MUSKETEERS G. Veronesi (2018);
TUTTI PER 1 - 1 PER TUTTI G. Veronesi (2020);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021).

RICCARDO SCAMARCIO (LUCIO)

THE BEST OF YOUTH M. T. Giordana (2003);
NOW OR NEVER L. Pellegrini (2003);
THE SCENT OF BLOOD M. Martone (2004);
THREE STEPS OVER HEAVEN (2004);
L’UOMO PERFETTO L. Lucini (2005);
CRIME NOVEL M. Placido (2005);
TEXAS F. Paravidino (2005);
HO VOGLIA DI TE L. Prieto (2007);
MANUALE D’AMORE 2 G. Veronesi (2007);
GO GO TALES A. Ferrara (2008);
MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD D. Luchetti (2007);
AT A GLANCE S. Rubini (2008);
ITALIANS G. Veronesi (2009);
EDEN IS WEST C. Costa-Gavras (2009);
THE BIG DREAM M. Placido (2009);
THE FRONT LINE R. De Maria (2009);
THE CEZANNE AFFAIR S. Rubini (2009);
LOOSE CANNONS F. Ozpetek (2010);
MANUALE D’AMORE 3 G. Veronesi (2011);
THE RED AND THE BLUE G. Piccioni (2012);
TO ROME WITH LOVE W. Allen (2012);
COSIMO AND NICOLE F. Amato (2012);
A SMALL SOUTHERN ENTERPRISE R. Papaleo (2013);
THIRD PERSON P. Haggis (2014);
EFFIE GRAY R. Laxton (2014);
A GOLDEN BOY P. Avati (2014);
PASOLINI A. Ferrara (2014);
WONDROUS BOCCACCIO P. and V. Taviani (2015);
YOU CAN'T SAVE YOURSELF ALONE S. Castellitto (2015);
BURNT J. Wells (2015);
THE FIRST LIGHT V. Marra (2015);
IO CHE AMO SOLO TE M. Ponti (2015);
PERICLE S. Mordini (2016);
THE TRUTH LIES IN HEAVEN R. Faenza (2016);
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER M. Ponti (2016);
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 C. Stahelski (2017);
LORO P. Sorrentino (2018);
EUPHORIA V. Golino (2018);
COSA FAI A CAPODANNO? F. Bologna (2018);
WELCOME HOME G. Ratliff (2018);
THE SUMMER HOUSE V. B. Tedeschi (2019);
RUTHLESS R. De Maria (2019);
I'M NOT A MURDERER A. Zaccariello (2019);
THE TRANSLATORS R. Roinsard (2019);
STOLEN DAYS G. Lombardi (2020);
IF ONLY G. Elkann (2020);
THE PLAYERS S. Mordini (2020);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021).

ALBA ROHRWACHER (MONICA)

AN ITALIAN ROMANCE C. Mazzacurati (2004);
MELISSA P. L. Guadagnino (2005);
4-4-2 – IL GIOCO PIÙ BELLO DEL MONDO M. Carrillo – C. Cupellini – R. Johnson – F. Lagi (2006);
IN YOUR HANDS P. Del Monte (2006);
NON C’È PIÙ NIENTE DA FARE E. Barresi (2006);
MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD D. Luchetti (2007);
DAYS AND CLOUDS S. Soldini (2007);
GOOD MORNING HEARTACHE A. Negri (2008);
QUIET CHAOS A. Grimaldi (2008);
GIOVANNA'S FATHER P. Avati (2008);
THE LADIES GET THEIR SAY E. Monteleone (2009);
I AM LOVE L. Guadagnino (2010);
THE MAN WHO WILL COME G. Diritti (2010);
THE SOLITUDE OF PRIMARY NUMBERS S. Costanzo (2010);
PEACE MISSION F. Lagi (2011);
DORMANT BEAUTY M. Bellocchio (2012);
GLUCK D. Dorrie (2012);
GARIBALDI'S LOVERS S. Soldini (2012);
A STREET IN PALERMO E. Dante (2013);
THE WONDERS A. Rohrwacher (2014);
HUNGRY HEARTS S. Costanzo (2015);
SWORN VIRGIN L. Bispuri (2015);
TALE OF TALES M. Garrone (2015);
BLOOD OF MY BLOOD M. Bellocchio (2015);
LONG LIVE THE BRIDE A. Celestini (2015);
PERFECT STRANGERS P. Genovese (2016);
L'AMI: FRANCOIS F'ASSISE ET SES FRERES – IL SOGNO DI FRANCESCO R. Fely (2016);
THE EAVESDROPPER T. Kruithof (2016);
THE PLACE P. Genovese (2017);
LUCIA'S GRACE G. Zanasi (2018);
DAUGHTER OF MINE L. Bispuri (2018);
ISMAEL'S GHOSTS A. Desplechin (2018);
HAPPY AS LAZZARO A. Rohrwacher (2018);
THE LAST WORDS J. Nossiter (2018);
IF ONLY G. Elkann (2020);
THE TIES D. Luchetti (2020);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021).

ADRIANO GIANNINI (GIORGIO)

OFF TO THE REVOLUTION BY A 2CV M. Sciarra (2001);
SWEPT AWAY G. Ritchie (2003);
STAY WITH ME L. Giampalmo (2004);
A MOLE AT THE BIOPARK F. Ottaviano (2004);
OCEAN'S TWELVE S. Soderbergh (2004);
THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE P. Sorrentino (2004);
DOLINA Z. Kamondi (2007);
A DREAM HOUSE NIGHTMARE F. Zampaglione (2007);
LAS 13 ROSAS E. M. Lazàro (2009);
BUTTERFLIES & LIGHTNING K. Griffin (2009);
THE HOUSE IN THE CLOUDS C. Giovannesi (2009);
KISS ME AGAIN G. Muccino (2010);
BLACK GOLD J. J. Annaud (2011);
SANDRINE IN THE RAIN T. Zangardi (2012);
A FAIRY-TALE WEDDING C. Vanzina (2014);
A WOMAN AS A FRIEND G. Veronesi (2014);
WITHOUT PITY M. Alhaique (2014);
THE ICE FOREST C. Noce (2014);
I KILLED NAPOLEON G. Farina (2015);
FOR YOUR LOVE G. Gaudino (2015);
MAGIC CARD K. M. Keung (2017);
IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE S. Soldini (2018);
VIVERE F. Archibugi (2019);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021).

ELENA LIETTI (SARAH)

JUST MARRIED L. Lucini (2009);
THE WOMAN OF MY LIFE L. Lucini (2010);
IL CANTICO DI MADDALENA M. Campiotti (2010);
THE RED AND THE BLUE G. Piccioni (2012);
AMLETO 2 F. Cappa (2012);
I DELITTI DEL BARLUME – TV series E. Cappuccio (2012);
ALEX & Co. – TV series C. Norza (2014/2015);
LIKE CRAZY P. Virzì (2016);
HOW TO GROW UP DESPITE YOUR PARENTS L. Lucini (2016);
IL MIRACOLO – TV series N. Ammaniti; F. Munzi; L. Pellegrini (2018); TOMORROW'S A NEW DAY S. Spada (2019);
ANNA – TV series N. Ammaniti (2021);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021)

ALESSANDRO SPERDUTI (ANDREA)

HEAVEN T. Tykwer (2002);
THE ORDER B. Helgeland (2003);
I AM DAVID P. Feig (2003);
KISS ME FIRST A. Lo Giudice (2003);
SBIRRI R. Burchielli (2009);
MENO MALE CHE CI SEI L. Prieto (2009);
LOVE IS IN THE AIR F. Brizzi (2012);
GREENERY WILL BLOOM AGAIN E. Olmi (2014);
ONE KISS I. Cotroneo (2016);
RAINBOW: A PRIVATE AFFAIR P. and V. Taviani (2018);
THE MUSIC OF SILENCE M. Radford (2019);
MOLLAMI M. Gentiloni (2019);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021)

DENISE TANTUCCI (CHARLOTTE)

MA TU DI CHE SEGNO 6? N. Parenti (2014);
BRACCIALETTI ROSSI 2 & 3 – TV series G. Campiotti (2015/2016);
BEN-HUR T. Bekmambetov (2016);
400 BOYS A. Paton (2017);
SIRENE – TV series D. Marengo (2017);
LIKEMEBACK L. Guerra Seràgnoli (2019);
DARKNESS E. Rossi (2020);
THE TIME OF INDIFFERENCE L. Guerra Seràgnoli (2020);
IN VACANZA SU MARTE N. Parenti (2020);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021)

MAIN CREW
BIOGRAPHY

FEDERICA PONTREMOLI (SCREENPLAY)

THE CAIMAN N. Moretti (2006);
DAYS AND CLOUDS S. Soldini (2007);
LO SPAZIO BIANCO F. Comencini (2009);
MENO MALE CHE CI SEI L. Prieto (2009);
GIULIA DOESN'T DATE AT NIGHT G. Piccioni (2009);
GENERATION 1000 EUROS M. Venier (2009);
WE HAVE A POPE HABEMUS PAPAM N. Moretti (2011);
ONE DAY MORE M. Venier (2011);
A MAGNIFICENT HAUNTING F. Ozpetek (2012);
I KILLED NAPOLEON G. Farina (2015);
ONDA SU ONDA R. Papaleo (2016);
LUCIA'S GRACE G. Zanasi (2018);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021)

VALIA SANTELLA (SCREENPLAY)

I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES V. Santella (2005);
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME, JOHNNY! F. Bentivoglio (2007);
NINA E. Fuksas (2013);
MIELE V. Golino (2013);
MIA MADRE N. Moretti (2015);
PERICLES THE BLACK S. Mordini (2016);
SWEET DREAMS M. Bellocchio (2016);
RED ISTANBUL F. Ozpetek (2017);
NAPLES IN VEILS F. Ozpetek (2017);
EUPHORIA V. Golino (2018);
THE TRAITOR M. Bellocchio (2019);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021)

MICHELE D’ATTANASIO (CINEMATOGRAPHY)

…E SE DOMANI G. La Parola (2006);
GOOD MORNING AMAN C. Noce (2009);
UNA NOTTE BLU COBALTO D. Gangemi (2010);
5 (CINQUE) F. M. Dominedò (2011);
IL PAESE DELLE SPOSE INFELICI P. Mezzapesa (2011);
NINA E. Fuksas (2013);
PINUCCIO LOVERO – YES, I CAN P. Mezzapesa (2014);
QUIET BLISS E. Winspeare (2014);
THE ICE FOREST C. Noce (2014);
ITALIAN RACE M. Rovere (2016);
THEY CALL ME JEEG G. Mainetti (2016);
MOGLIE E MARITO S. Godano (2017);
COUPLE THERAPY FOR CHEATERS A. M. Federici (2017);
SEE YOU IN TEXAS V. Palmieri (2018);
CAPRI – REVOLUTION M. Martone (2018);
THE MAN WITHOUT GRAVITY M. Bonfanti (2019);
IL GRANDE SPIRITO S. Rubini (2019);
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE WORLD A. Siani (2019); PADRENOSTRO C. Noce (2020);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021)

CLELIO BENEVENTO (EDITING)

I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EYES V. Santella (2005);
FORT APACHE NAPOLI M. Risi (2009);
THE PASSION C. Mazzacurati (2010);
L'ULTIMO TERRESTRE G. A. Pacinotti – Gipi (2011);
È NATA UNA STAR? L. Pellegrini (2012);
PASSIONE SINISTRA M. Ponti (2013);
CHA CHA CHA – CRONACA DI UN DELITTO M. Risi (2013);
LONG LIVE FREEDOM R. Andò (2013);
TUTTI CONTRO TUTTI R. Ravello (2013);
LA SEDIA DELLA FELICITÀ C. Mazzacurati (2013);
DO YOU REMEMBER ME? R. Ravello (2014);
MIA MADRE N. Moretti (2015);
LIMBO L. Pellegrini (2015);
IN GUERRA PER AMORE P. Diliberto – Pif (2016);
THE CONFESSIONS R. Andò (2016);
SANTIAGO, ITALIA N. Moretti (2018);
HOTEL GAGARIN S. Spada (2018);
THE RUTHLESS R. De Maria (2019);
TOMORROW'S A NEW DAY S. Spada (2019);
THREE FLOORS N. Moretti (2021)