Enredo

In 1980s Naples, young Fabietto pursues his love for football as family tragedy strikes, shaping his uncertain but promising future as a filmmaker.

From Academy Award-winning writer and director Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo, The Great Beauty, The Young Pope), comes the story of a boy, Fabietto Schisa, in the tumultuous Naples of the 1980s. The Hand of God is a story full of unexpected joys, such as the arrival of football legend Diego Maradona, and an equally unexpected tragedy. Fate plays its part, joy and tragedy intertwine, and Fabietto's future is set in motion. Sorrentino returns to his hometown to tell his most personal story, a tale of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss.—Netflix

1980s Naples. With rumours about footballing legend Diego Maradona's signing to SSC Napoli spreading like wildfire, the entire city is teeming with excitement. Against the backdrop of a hot August, introverted 17-year-old Fabietto, who loves riding his Vespa, plans to study philosophy at the university, but for now, he is obsessed with football and curvaceous Aunt Patrizia. And then, as Fabietto tries to figure out his identity, tragedy strikes. Now, Fabietto must summon up the courage to redefine his life and transform himself from a passive observer to the person he wants to be. Can Diego save Fabietto's life?—Nick Riganas

Fabietto Schisa (Filippo Scotti) is figuring his way out in life. He wants to do philosophy; he tells his mom. His brother Marchino (Marlon Joubert) is an aspiring actor and is giving an audition for an extra in Federico Fellini's film in one of the scenes. the audition room where many individuals are sitting with hopes in their eyes that maybe the virtuoso would cast them in his film. Marchino is rejected with notes saying that he has a very conventional face. Fellini believes that cinema is a distraction from reality.

A great deal of conversation in the Schisa household is about Maradona leaving Barcelona and joining the football club in Naples. Eventually the deal is finalized, and Naples buys Maradona. The family is not as happy and functional as they seem from outside. Fabietto's father, Saverio Schisa (Toni Servillo), is having an affair outside the marriage. It is something that has been a bone of contention between him and his wife, Maria (Teresa Saponangelo). They do share a romantic bond, but as and when Saverio's fidelity relapses (With his colleague Signora Villa), the couple enters into a heated argument.

Saverio is a banker himself and wants Fabietto to follow in his footsteps. Saverio has a daughter Daniella, who spends all of her time in the bathroom. Baroness Focale (Betti Pedrazzi) lives in the apartment above the Schisa's and is a constant presence in their lives.

We get to see the peculiar and intriguing family members when they all meet for lunch. Signora Gentile, one of the elders of the family, likes saying rude words that had earned her the title of the meanest woman in Naples. Austera, is Uncle Alfredo's (Renato Carpentieri) wife and is, in fact, an in-house scientist. She claims to have found the cure for cancer in her mysterious lab.

Aunt Patrizia (Luisa Ranieri) is perpetually depressed. Her husband Franco (Massimiliano Gallo) is done with her and can no longer deal with her mental condition. She shares an extraordinary and unusual bond with Fabritto. There's some sensuality to it, together with a paternal instinct too. Patrizia frequently has sex for money, but in her fantasies, she believes that she meets San Gennaro (Enzo De Caro) to understand how she can get pregnant with her husband with whom she doesn't have a child. Gennaro takes her to the little monk, who gives her the money. Alfredo is the senior uncle of the family. Saverio's sister-in-law Luisella brings her fiance Aldo to meet the family. But he turns out to be 70 years old invalid, who uses an electronic gadget to speak. Patrizia is the hot one in the family and makes everyone uncomfortable when she bathes topless on a family boat trip. On the same trip Fabrietto sees a smuggler Armando (Biagio Manna) escape the Italian Marine police. He later makes friends with Armando.

Mario kicks Saverio out of the house after the latest episode of infidelity. They eventually reconcile and she lets him back in. Fabietto watches the sets of director Antonio Capuano. Saverios gets season tickets for Maradona's games for Fabietto. In one of the games, Maradona scores with his hand, the famous "Hand of God" goal. The abuses of Signora Gentile get too much, and the entire family gives her a good physical beating.

Fabietto's mother and father meet with an accident. Due to a carbon monoxide leak in their home, they died, leaving Fabietto and his brother Marchino orphaned. Fabrietto was supposed to be with them, but he stayed back to watch the Maradona game. The hand of God saves him. Daniella tells Fabietto that Saverio had a son with Villa 8 years ago and hence never left her. A sexual counter of Fabietto with Baroness Focale (Betti Pedrazzi), could not be blatantly termed to be lustful or licentious in any manner. Moreover, it was thoughtful in its essence. Baroness Focale only wanted to make a man out of Fabietto and prepare him for the real girls in his life. She is the man-maker. Fabietto meets Armando again, who takes him out for a night out in the town. Soon, Armando is arrested for his crimes and Fabietto is all alone again. Fabietto discovers his passion for cinema and decides to go to Rome to pursue it. His brother stayed back as he had a different perspective of how he saw life. But before leaving for Rome, Fabietto has an encounter with a filmmaker Antonio that changes the course of his life.

Antonio Capuano (Ciro Capano) mercilessly spouts out facts that nobody would want to hear, especially someone who is suffering from a loss. As a matter of fact, everybody is in pain, each one of us have our struggles to deal with and Capuano believed that there was nothing unique in pain itself. But if one digs it more profoundly, then they might find something that is authentic in its essence. There is always a story hidden deep inside the wound. Capuano tells Fabietto that with hope, one can only make comforting films. Comfort is a trap for any filmmaker. He tells him that we are all alone. We all have our fair share of regrets and struggles that we deal with every day. Like many of us, Fabietto tells him that he wants to escape reality. He wanted to make films and reside in the imaginary world. But that mere notion is never enough. Had it been enough, then everybody would have made films.

Be it Fellini, Ingmar Bergman, or Sorrentino himself, great filmmakers always had a few things in common. Visual literacy was given utmost importance by all, and they believed that great art never came from a place of comfort. Conflict and a state of unrest were a creator's biggest enemy and greatest ally, depending upon how they saw it.