Gastón Solnicki’s new film The Souffleur, featuring Willem Dafoe, has secured distribution in Italy ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Horizons section. Magnify has sold rights to Revolver & Madison Group, which plans a wide theatrical release of the film across Italy next year.
Alongside this Italian deal, the film has also been acquired by Filmladen for distribution in Austria, further expanding its European reach before the festival debut.
Cast and Crew Bring Depth to This Austrian Production
The cast includes Willem Dafoe as Lucius, alongside Solnicki himself, newcomer Lilly Senn, Stephanie Argerich, and Claus Philipp. Cinematographer Rui Poças, known for his work on Grand Tour, provides the film’s distinctive visual style. This Austrian production is backed by producers Gabriele Kranzelbinder and Paolo Calamita of Little Magnet Films and KGP Filmproduktion, Eugenio Fernández Abril from Primo, and director Solnicki’s own company Filmy Wiktora.
A Story of Resistance and Belonging
Dafoe portrays Lucius, a devoted hotel manager who, after 30 years of service, discovers that the building where he works has been sold to an Argentine developer. With support from his daughter and loyal staff, Lucius embarks on a determined mission filled with unexpected challenges to protect the life and community he has created in the hotel, symbolizing the fight to hold onto a disappearing world.
Industry Leaders Praise the Film and Its Star
Paolo Maria Spina from Revolver & Madison Group expressed pride in representing the film in Italy, highlighting Dafoe’s outstanding performance.
“We are proud to represent such an original film in Italy, with a brilliant performance by Willem Dafoe,”
—Paolo Maria Spina, Revolver & Madison Group
Austin Kennedy, head of global sales at Magnify, who negotiated the Italian deal during the Venice Film Festival, shared enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We’re delighted to team up with Revolver & Madison Group,”
—Austin Kennedy, Magnify
“’The Souffleur’ is a true cinematic experience, and we can’t wait for Italian audiences to experience it in theaters,”
—Austin Kennedy, Magnify
Filmmaker’s Reflections on Working with Dafoe
In a conversation with Variety at the Venice Film Festival, director Gastón Solnicki praised Willem Dafoe’s dedication and ambition.
“[Dafoe] was very courageous, which I was so impressed by — that someone of his talent and experience would still be so ambitious as an actor,”
—Gastón Solnicki
Solnicki also shared the challenge of balancing the film’s ambition with Dafoe’s schedule.
“He was so open, but also very rigorous with his time because he has all these other commitments. I wanted to make a more ambitious film, but Willem insisted I do what I always do — which was impossible, precisely because he was in it. We were like Herzog and Kinski, turning our hair gray,”
—Gastón Solnicki
Anticipated Impact on Italian and European Audiences
As The Souffleur prepares for its Venice debut, the secured Italian distribution deal promises to bring this reflective and intense drama to a broad audience. Given the film’s high-profile cast led by Willem Dafoe and its thoughtful narrative about change, memory, and belonging, it is expected to resonate with both Italian and wider European viewers. The collaboration with experienced distributors ensures that the film will receive substantial exposure, marking an important step for this international project ahead of further festival screenings and releases.
