The film exposes the hypocrisy of wealthy, respectable men who are eager to exploit a vulnerable widow under the guise of financial assistance.
Indignant at these proposals, Francesca refuses to submit to exploitation. But with no other options, she turns to her trusted friend and lawyer, Cesare (played by Massimo Ghini), for advice. Together, they devise an audacious plan: Francesca will organize a lottery—a “riffa”—in which she herself is the prize.
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: The story follows Francesca, an exceptionally beautiful widow who discovers after her husband's death that he was unfaithful and left behind massive debts. To pay off these debts and secure her future, she organizes an illegal raffle with twenty influential men from Bari, where the grand prize is herself for a period of several years.
La Riffa is a film of contradictions: a social satire that struggles to land its punches, a star vehicle for an actress who was not yet a star, a commercial disappointment that nevertheless launched a legendary career. For those interested in Italian cinema, Monica Bellucci’s filmography, or the work of Francesco Laudadio, it remains a worthwhile viewing experience.
The 1991 Italian film (The Raffle), directed by Francesco Laudadio
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The 1991 Italian drama-comedy film (The Raffle), written and directed by Francesco Laudadio , remains a significant title in European cinema, largely celebrated for marking the feature film debut of global icon Monica Bellucci.
Regional variants of Amazon Prime Video , Apple TV , or Google Play Movies occasionally offer digital licensing for classic international libraries.
If you are in the United States or other regions, check Amazon’s local marketplace to see if La Riffa is available. The film is listed under its Italian title La Riffa as well as its English title The Raffle . Availability may vary by country due to licensing agreements.
While La Riffa may not be a masterpiece of Italian cinema, it remains a work worth exploring for its willingness to tackle uncomfortable subjects. The film’s central metaphor—a woman auctioning herself because the world refuses to value her on any other terms—is as provocative today as it was in 1991. Francesco Laudadio may not have fully succeeded in his satirical ambitions, but he created a film that continues to provoke discussion and debate more than three decades later.