At the heart of the wealthy Recchi family is Tancredi Recchi’s wife Emma, whose existence is shocked to the core when she embarks on a passionate love affair that will change her family forever. A film by Luca Guadagnino, starring Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbriellini, and Marisa Berenson.

Emma (Tilda Swinton), a Russian woman who married Italian businessman Tancredi Recchi (Pippo Delbono) and moved into his wealthy family home in Milan, is co-hosting a formal dinner party with her husband to celebrate her father-in-law Edoardo Sr.’s birthday. During the dinner, Edoardo Sr. (Gabriele Ferzetti) announces his retirement and the transfer of the family textile manufacturing business to his son Tancredi and, unexpectedly, to his grandson Edoardo Jr. (Flavio Parenti), Tancredi and Emma’s eldest son.

During the birthday celebration, Edoardo Jr. is surprised by a visit from Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini), the chef who defeated him in the competition earlier that day. Antonio presents him with a beautiful cake that he made. Edoardo Jr. then introduces him to his mother.

Months later, Emma dines at Antonio’s restaurant and is impressed by his prawn dish. Shortly after that, while traveling to Nice to surprise her daughter Elisabetta (Alba Rohrwacher), she stops by San Remo, hoping to encounter Antonio. She succeeds, and Antonio invites her to his hilltop house outside the city, where their affair begins.

Io Sono l’Amore, a romantic drama film, depicts the story of the wealthy Recchi family through a period of time, showcasing breathtaking landscapes, beautiful architecture, the people, and the passion and desire that lead them down a spiral of lies and deception. Every aspect of the film is top-notch, from the cinematography by Yorick Le Saux to the music composed by John Adams, and the cast delivers outstanding performances, particularly Tilda Swinton.

io Sono l’Amore (I Am Love) premiered at the Venice Film Festival on 5 September 2009. It was theatrically released in Italy on 19 March 2020. The film serves as the inaugural installment of Luca Guadagnino’s Desire Trilogy.