Marco Bellocchio Brings the Fall of Enzo Tortora to the Screen in HBO Max’s ‘Portobello’

For Portobello, its first Italian original production, HBO Max is taking us back to 1980s Italy and one of the most infamous miscarriages of justice in the country’s history. Legendary Italian auteur Marco Bellocchio (The Traitor, Kidnapped) directed and co-wrote the six-episode series, which tells the story of the downfall and imprisonment of popular TV host Enzo Tortora, an innocent man.

“1982. Enzo Tortora is at the height of his success,” reads a synopsis for the show, whose first two episodes world premiered at the Venice Film Festival before screening at the BFI London Film Festival on Saturday afternoon. “He hosts Portobello, a show reaching 28 million viewers in prime time, where contestants try to make the parrot, the show’s mascot, speak. Tortora is the king of 1980s television, and the president of Italy, Alessandro Pertini, even appoints Tortora Commander of the Republic. During this time, the Irpinia earthquake delivers…