Step into the world of legendary fashion designer Gianni Versace with this evocative new docu-drama from writer/director Mimmo Calopresti (Aspromante: Land of the Forgotten) which cleverly intertwines past and present, fiction and documentary to tell the story of an artist who transformed fashion into theatre and glamour into a language of freedom.
1960s, Reggio Calabria, Southern Italy. Gianni (portrayed by rising star Leonardo Maltese, Kidnapped) spends his youth observing his seamstress mother, Franca (Vera Dragone), and studying the classics. While evading the judgment of his fellow townspeople about his never-hidden and proudly lived sexuality, he immerses himself in the remnants of ancient Greece in search of identity, and takes his first steps in the world of fashion.
1970s Milan, the Versace brand begins to rise, with forays into theatre, music, cinema, and television, taking him to the United States.
Featuring a series of interviews with his friends, colleagues and models, including Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Elton John, Pedro Almodóvar and many others, as well as precious archival images of runway shows and interviews, GIANNI VERSACE - EMPEROR OF DREAMS reconstructs the world, life and creativity of a dreamer whose arrival on the world scene was a turning point, offering an insight into both a cultural icon and the turbulent, intoxicating age that made him.