Matilda De Angelis's new film might be the most erotic film to premiere at Cannes 2025! (Patreon)

“Fouri,” directed by Mario Martone and starring Valeria Golino, Matilda De Angelis, and Elodie, might be one of the most erotic films to premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, but that is just my assumption based on certain hints that I am about to tell you.

The film is a biographical drama centered on the life of Italian writer and actress Goliarda Sapienza, portrayed by Valeria Golino. Set primarily in Rome during the early 1980s, it explores the unconventional and turbulent later years of Sapienza's life.

Sapienza is best known for her Sicilian epic The Art of Joy (L’arte della gioia), written between 1967 and 1976. The novel was banned in Italy for decades due to its explicit content and its unapologetic portrayal of female liberation, pleasure, and rebellion against societal norms.

The Art of Joy Plot and Sexual Content: The story follows Modesta, a Sicilian woman born on January 1, 1900. Born into poverty, she uses both her intelligence and her sexuality to ascend the social ladder, ultimately marrying a nobleman and becoming a princess. Modesta is a bold character who unapologetically embraces her sexual freedom—she has relationships with both men and women, often described in raw, explicit detail. The novel doesn't shy away from graphic language, including vivid depictions of body parts, the scent of fluids, and the sensation of touch. Even after marriage, Modesta continues her sexual adventures and becomes flirtatious with her stepson—though the novel remains ambiguous about whether anything physical happens between them.

The Art of Joy was recently adapted into a TV series under the same title (L’arte della gioia), which has brought renewed attention to Sapienza’s life and legacy.

In Fouri, one of the film’s pivotal moments is Sapienza’s desperate and impulsive decision to steal jewelry from a wealthy friend—a crime that leads to her imprisonment in Rome’s Rebibbia prison. There, she meets a group of young female inmates, played by Matilda De Angelis and Elodie. Initially out of place, Sapienza gradually forms intense connections with the women around her. Their chemistry hints at deeper emotional—and possibly erotic—undertones.

While Sapienza never publicly identified as queer, her work is undeniably filled with queer themes and fluid sexuality. The film may explore this more intimately, perhaps through interactions with De Angelis and Elodie's characters or symbolic dream sequences that blur the lines between Sapienza and Modesta. If the filmmakers choose to reflect Sapienza’s inner desires in this way, the result could be explicit sex scenes and nudity.

That said, early reports also suggest that the movie leans more toward emotional and transformative storytelling, with no confirmed scenes of explicit content. Still, given Sapienza’s daring literary legacy, many are hopeful the film will honor her spirit—both her intellectual fire and her erotic boldness.

Until its premiere at Cannes, all we can do is speculate. But one thing's certain: Fouri is not a film to be overlooked.