Veteran Italian filmmaker Pupi Avati (A HEART ELSEWHERE) returns with THE SECOND WEDDING NIGHT, a gentle, comedic drama set in post-war Italy. The story focuses on Giordano (Antonio Albanese), who gets a chance to relive his adolescent infatuation with his sister-in-law Lilliana (Katia Ricciarelli), when she returns to the family estate in the South as a war-widow. Greatly pushed by both the poverty of the immediate post-war period and her sly son Nino (Neri Marcorè) who harbours expensive filmmaking dreams, she accepts to see if there is any love left in her for Giordano.
The combination of the pitch-perfect performance of Antonio Albanese and the intelligent script (by written-director Avati) gives THE SECOND WEDDING NIGHT much of its emotional leverage. Opera singer Ricciarelli, who makes her feature debut here as an actress, is equally perfect as Lilliana.
THE SECOND WEDDING NIGHT was nominated for a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival 2005 and Best Director Award at the Italian Golden Globes 2006.