PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Max Barbakow,director and of the film Palm Springs.
“Weddings, love, family, exes, heartbreak, a whole lot of pain and suffering, a fair amount of joy, babies, beers, burritos, death, war, violence, and finally – sex, drugs, and a big rock with a hole in it. Most of life can be boiled down to these words. So can Palm Springs” Max Barbakow’s words to explain Palm Springs, his own film revisitation of the “Groundhog Day” dynamic, say it all. With the film participating at the 15th Rome Film Festival, the director, via zoom, describes the genesys of the film, its exploring the darker turn the whole repeating the same “wedding day in Palm Springs” can take and investigating the possible consequences of accepting to never live the future again. Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti and J.K. Simmons are essential for the film’s success, dramedy rhythm and balance.
Palm Springs: When carefree Nyles and reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated when they find themselves unable to escape the venue, themselves, and each other.
Rome is once again expanding the scope of its Film Fest: thirteen days of cinema, international premieres, renowned auteurs, emerging talent, series, documentaries, and cinematic heritage—with Javier Bardem, Paolo Genovese, and Monica Vitti at the heart of an edition that …
Javier Bardem will be one of the major guests of the Rome Film Fest 2026, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award and presenting Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s El ser querido.