ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL
The Treasure of His Youth (Il Tesoro di San Gennaro)
A chance discovery of forgotten negatives leads photographer-filmmaker Bruce Weber to the 94-year-old Italian lensman Paolo di Paolo, whose intimate portraits of post-war Rome captured auteurs, icons and the spirit of an era.
Director
Bruce Weber
With
Paolo di Paolo • Silvia di Paolo • Bruce Weber (voice) • Giuseppe Casetti • Luca Stoppini
1h 45m • Rated E • Documentary • USA • Eng Subs
The island setting, the modest production, and the humor that often arises from character rather than contrivance work together to keep the film from ever feeling flat. On the flip side, a few feel the pacing is uneven, or that the secondary characters don’t always land. Still, even these criticisms tend to be soft and in the service of a film that is more heartwarming than perfect.
Overall, the consensus sees The Ballad of Wallis Island as a warm, wistful, and soul-soothing film—modest in scope but rich in feeling. It’s not trying to dazzle, but it digs in where it matters: loss, memory, music, human connection. For many, it’s one of the more emotionally satisfying films of 2025.
The Ballad of Wallis Island is a quietly charming British comedy-drama directed by James Griffiths, written by and starring Tom Basden and Tim Key, alongside Carey Mulligan. The story centers on Charles, a lonely lottery winner living on a remote Welsh island, who invites his favorite folk duo—Herb McGwyer and Nell Mortimer—to reunite for a private performance. His motive isn’t just fandom; there are unresolved heartbreaks, nostalgia, and grief behind his idealistic gesture.
Critics are largely enamored with the film’s balance of humor and melancholy. Tim Key’s performance as Charles is praised for being endearingly awkward, verbose, and heart-on-sleeve, often using verbal wit to stave off silence. Basden as Herb, and Mulligan as Nell, deliver subtle, emotionally resonant performances, especially when the old romantic and artistic tensions surface—and you begin to feel what’s been lost, as well as what hope might remain. The original music is another highlight; the songs feel lived in, and the film uses them not as spectacle, but as emotional anchors.
Some reviewers point out that the premise is familiar—a fan’s devotee, reunited artists, romantic regrets—but argue that the execution elevates it.
CRITICS ROUNDUP
BOOK SEATS FOR
The Treasure of His Youth (Il Tesoro di San Gennaro)
Mon 12 Jan 5:00pm ncp
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ncp - no complimentary passes
cap - captioned for hard of hearing
Yet all of this extraordinary photography and Paolo’s artistry was forgotten for decades and even unknown to his family. How could such an artist and his work have been forgotten for so long? Not until Director Bruce Weber stumbled upon one of his images and was so impressed that he sought to find the elusive photographer, was this truly extraordinary story brought to light. At a spritely 94 years of age, Paolo di Paolo was able to reveal his astonishing work and tell some unbelievable tales of a truly golden era. Paolo Rotondo
Critics Roundup
A luminous portrait of art and memory
Some real-life stories can be as extraordinary as a film. In the 50’s and 60’s, Paolo di Paolo was a photojournalist, trusted photographer and friend of some of Italy’s most glamorous stars. His Leica camera captured exquisite portraits of Marcello Mastroianni, Sofia Loren, Pasolini, Visconti, Bertolucci, Rudolf Nureyev, Charlotte Rampling, and so many more. His images were intimate, whimsical, thoughtful and seemed to capture the essence of his subjects. Aside from the glitz and the elite, he had a gift for perfectly depicting postwar Italy’s beauty in its gloriously optimistic economic boom years.