Lorenzo is a lot of things to a lot of people: boyfriend to famed author Davide, business partner to angsty addict Roberta, patron to cute doctor-cum-writer Paolo, and confusing embarrassment to his old-fashioned father. But his friends are the center of his universe, and Lorenzo spends much of his time planning cheery dinner parties and retreats with his loyal, makeshift family. “I don’t want surprises, novelty or dramatic turns of event,” he muses. “I want things as they are now, forever. Even though I know ‘forever’ doesn’t exist.” And all too soon, “forever” is thrown into emotional upheaval when Lorenzo suddenly slips into a coma at the dinner table — and his friends discover that he was the glue holding them all together.

As the group described as “Lorenzo Marchetti’s relatives” takes turns waiting outside his hospital room, the little secrets and tensions among them begin to magnify and undermine their relationships. Infidelity, melancholy, resentment and now grief all begin to threaten the very stability and intimacy that Lorenzo so cherished.

Nominated for multiple David di Donatello awards (Italy’s highest film honor), Ferzan Ozpetek’s (Steam, Frameline22) film is a poignant, mature ensemble drama notable for its clear-eyed and sympathetic treatment of gay themes and characters