Director Andrea Pallaoro developed the film with co-writers Ilaria Bernardini and Ludovica Rampoldi from a second draft left by Bernardo Bertolucci before his death in 2018.
The film takes place inside a single Eaton Place apartment, filmed on sets in Rome designed by Gaspare de Pascali and shot in the Academy aspect ratio by cinematographer Diego Garcia.
Luca Marinelli plays music producer Leonardo, who reaches 87 days of sobriety while working with Susan Sarandon's character Ava and managing a codependent relationship with Alicia Vikander's character Anne.
The Echo Chamber is the fourth feature directed by Italian filmmaker Andrea Pallaoro, following Medeas, Hannah, and Monica. The production represents the first time Pallaoro has directed from a screenplay he did not write himself, as his earlier three features were written in partnership with Orlando Tirado. The film is based on the final uncompleted script left by Bernardo Bertolucci, which remained in its second draft when Bertolucci died in 2018. Bertolucci conceived the screenplay with Italian screenwriters Ilaria Bernardini and Ludovica Rampoldi. Pallaoro developed the project directly with Bernardini and Rampoldi, retaining Bertolucci's focus on intimate tension, psychological manipulation, and nonlinear narrative structure.
The narrative takes place entirely inside a single residence, situated in the Eaton Place district of London. The production shot the interior scenes in Rome, utilizing a high-ceilinged apartment characterized by continental decor rather than traditional British design. Production designer Gaspare de Pascali created the layout with modular lighting, glass partition panels, a reading-nook conservatory, a grand piano, and an extensive audio system overlooking a cobbled street. Cinematographer Diego Garcia, who has worked with directors Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Carlos Reygadas, and Nicolas Winding Refn, filmed the production in the Academy aspect ratio. Garcia framed the actors through reflective glass and distinct domestic zones to emphasize their physical separation within the shared space.
The narrative revolves around Leonardo, a successful music producer played by Luca Marinelli who contends with chronic lower back pain and severe substance abuse. The film opens with Leo dancing across his flat during a cocaine binge set to Jamie xx's 2015 electronic track Gosh, followed by an offscreen overdose caused by alcohol and crushed pain medication. The storyline moves between different time periods, detailing how Leo originally met Anne, an osteopathic physician played by Alicia Vikander who visits his apartment for medical house calls. Their dynamic develops into a codependent romance defined by Leo's inability to manage emotional closeness and Anne's watchful, manipulative caregiving.
“I really like your apartment. There's so many interesting things to look at.”
In the present-day timeline, Leo has completed treatment at a rehabilitation centre and has achieved 87 days of sobriety. He spends his recovery in the apartment completing an album with Ava, an 1980s singer and songwriter portrayed by Susan Sarandon. Ava works with Leo on the vocal tracks of their long-term collaborative project, while Leo continues to wrestle with the boundaries of his relationship with Anne. Screened as a contender for the Golden Lion, The Echo Chamber is scheduled to begin its theatrical run in Italian cinemas on 10 September 2026.
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Andrea Pallaoro directed the single-location drama starring Luca Marinelli, Alicia Vikander, and Susan Sarandon from a script left unfinished by Bernardo Bertolucci in 2018.
AI text based on reports by The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and IndieWire. Published .