When it rains in Rome, a dense vapour rises from the sewers. No one knows what causes it or where it comes from. In the meantime, crime rates in the city have soared to unparalleled highs. In this disquieting context, the Morel family is trying to find peace and a way forward after a tragedy that could have been avoided. Things get more and more tense in the home as well as in the streets.

In Piove – the story of an ordinary family that must deal with intimate sorrow and urban violence – the drama slowly shifts to horror. The city of Rome becomes one of the film’s main stars: dark, gloomy, the cradle of uncontrollable brutality, this version of the Eternal City helps create a harrowing atmosphere that takes over its residential neighbourhoods (far from uptown Rome and its nice suburbs). The brilliant score personifies this urban monstrosity all through this descent into hell.

Paolo Strippoli was born in Corato, in the Apulia region of Italy, in 1993. After getting a diploma in performing arts from La Sapienza university, he graduated from the national film school (CSC) in Rome. He is part of the new generation of Italian horror filmmakers. He started out in 2020 with the film A Classic Horror Story, which he codirected. Piove is his first solo feature film.