In the world’s happiest town, a man haunted by his past uncovers a sinister sacrifice behind its veneer of bliss. 

Sergio enters Remis, a town famed for being the happiest in the world, only to find himself at odds with its pristine facade. Within this manufactured paradise, he is initiated into a startling ritual: a boy named Matteo liberates the residents from suffering through a simple hug. What begins as a search for truth quickly curdles into horror as Sergio unveils the disturbing reality sustaining the town’s superficial happiness. 

Reminiscent of Ari Aster’s Hereditary and Jordan Peele’s Get Out, La Valle Dei Sorrisi (The Holy Boy) probes the cost of healing at another’s expense– confronting a reality where suffering is not a choice, but a prerequisite for truth over the comfort of false optimism. La Valle Dei Sorrisi won the Italian Federation of Film Clubs (Fedic) award at the Venice Film Festival.

In Italian with English Subtitles.

Rated. M18 for Sexual Scenes.

Presented by the Embassy of Italy in Singapore in collaboration with Cinecittà and Filmhouse as part of Italian Film Festival 2026