Shooting has begun in Rome on 40 Seconds, the new film directed by Vincenzo Alfieri and produced by Eagle Pictures. Inspired by the real-life story of Willy Monteiro Duarte, the young man killed in Colleferro on Sept. 6, 2020 after defending a friend during an argument, the film aims to powerfully and authentically recount an episode that has shaken Italian public opinion.

Based on Federica Angeli's book 40 Seconds. Willy Monteiro Duarte. The Light of Courage and the Darkness of Violence, the film traces the 24 hours leading up to the tragic event: a web of encounters, tensions and choices that will lead to the irreparable. A profound reflection on the banality of evil, civic courage and social fragility.

The cast features a mix of established actors and new talent: Francesco Gheghi (fresh winner of the Biraghi award at the Nastri d'Argento 2025), Enrico Borello, Francesco Di Leva, Beatrice Puccilli, Sergio Rubini and Maurizio Lombardi, joined by emerging faces such as Giordano Giansanti and Luca Petrini, selected through a street casting to give the story an even stronger authenticity.

40 Seconds will be released in Italian theaters on November 20, 2025. Shooting will last seven weeks and will take place in and around Rome.