This film adaptation of Jack London's novel is set in an unspecified period of Italian history. Martin Eden is doing everything he can to rise above the miserable conditions of the working class he comes from. He hopes intense self-studying will open the door to the world of the literary elite, and he will be able to marry a rich young woman. This visually captivating narrative creates a fresco that resembles the greatest classics of the Italian cinema in many ways. Luca Marinelli as the lead won the Best Actor award at Venice IFF.

Pietro Marcello

The Italian director studied fine arts at an academy in Naples and got involved in cinema as an assistant of director Leonardo Di Constanza. After several short and mid-length films, he debuted with feature documentary The Mouth of the Wolf which won at Berlin IFF. Martin Eden is his second live-action film and premiered at Venice IFF.