“Brunello: The Gracious Visionary,” a documentary on fashion mogul Brunello Cucinelli from Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore, has released an official trailer ahead of its U.S. release.
The film, which combines interviews and archival footage with reenacted stories from Cucinelli’s life, documents the rise of the King of Cashmere. Starting out as the son of a farmer in Umbria, Italy, Cucinelli worked his way up in the fashion and business world to start a billion-dollar luxury clothing brand built on high-quality cashmere sweaters. Now beloved by celebrities and tech CEOs, Brunello Cucinelli has also come to represent something bigger: the philosophy of humanistic capitalism, which Cucinelli has embodied by placing the company’s headquarters in Solomeo, Italy and employing many of the town’s inhabitants.
“Blending documentary and fiction, ‘Brunello: The Gracious Visionary’ retraces the places and key moments of Brunello Cucinelli’s existential journey: from his childhood in the countryside to the village of Solomeo, which he transformed into a symbol of humanistic capitalism,” the film’s official synopsis reads. “Testimonies, archival footage and personal memories reveal a man who, from humble beginnings, built a world-renowned company while staying true to the values of dignity, beauty and social justice. The story concludes with the realization that dreams, when pursued with courage, are the true force guiding one’s destiny.”
In the reenactment portions of the documentary, Cucinelli is portrayed by “Love & Gelato” breakout Saul Nanni, who is also joined by Francesco Cannevale, Francesco Ferroni, Emma Fatone and Beatrice Carlani. Cucinelli produced the doc alongside Massimiliano Di Lodovico, and Blue Fox Entertainment will release the film in the U.S. and Canada on July 24.
Earlier this year, Variety took a trip to Solomeo to meet with Cucinelli and visit his headquarters, where employees are treated like family and overtime is forbidden. Much of his outlook on work came from his father’s experience working in factories after moving their family to Perugia.
“He would never complain about his wages or the fact that it was cold in the factory; what he did complain about was that he was being belittled,” Cucinelli said. “That really killed me … You see, human beings need dignity even more than they need bread.”
Watch the trailer below.
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