Directed by Simone Manetti and written by Emanuele Cava and Matteo Billi, the film is produced by Ganesh Produzioni and Fandango.
The documentary is the first feature-length production to reconstruct both the life of Giulio Regeni and the brutal violence he suffered, while also examining the long legal battle surrounding the kidnapping, torture and murder of the young Italian researcher, whose body was found near Cairo on February 3, 2016.
For the first time on screen, Regeni’s parents, Claudio Regeni and Paola Deffendi, recount their son’s story directly. Their testimony focuses not only on personal grief, but also on their pursuit of justice and truth in the face of Egypt’s military regime led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The film also includes exclusive testimony from Alessandra Ballerini, the lawyer who has supported the family through years of legal proceedings. That process led in 2023 to the opening of a trial against four officers of Egypt’s National Security agency. Proceedings began in spring 2024, with a verdict expected by the end of 2026.
Regeni was 27 years old when he disappeared. Raised in Fiumicello Villa Vicentina, near Udine, he studied internationally, attending the United World College in New Mexico before graduating in Arabic and Politics at the University of Leeds and later completing a master’s degree in Development Studies at University of Cambridge. He became a doctoral researcher there in 2014.
In 2015, he moved to Cairo to conduct research into Egyptian trade unions on behalf of Cambridge University, during a period of significant political tension following the rise of al-Sisi’s military government. On January 25, 2016—the anniversary of the Tahrir Square revolution—Regeni disappeared. His family was informed two days later and immediately travelled to Egypt. One week later, the case became public. His body was discovered on February 3 on the outskirts of Cairo, bearing clear signs of severe torture.
The title of the documentary comes from the words of his mother, who said after identifying him: “I saw all the evil in the world on his face.”
Speaking about the project, director Simone Manetti said the film is not designed as an investigative thriller or a true-crime reconstruction, but as an intimate journey through the story from the perspective of those who lived it directly. Combining archive footage, legal material and found footage imagery, the documentary aims to immerse viewers emotionally rather than simply explain events.
With the case remaining one of the most debated and symbolic international stories involving Italy in the past decade, Giulio Regeni – All the Evil in the World brings renewed attention to a tragedy that continues to resonate far beyond national borders.
The documentary is the first feature-length production to reconstruct both the life of Giulio Regeni and the brutal violence he suffered, while also examining the long legal battle surrounding the kidnapping, torture and murder of the young Italian researcher, whose body was found near Cairo on February 3, 2016.
For the first time on screen, Regeni’s parents, Claudio Regeni and Paola Deffendi, recount their son’s story directly. Their testimony focuses not only on personal grief, but also on their pursuit of justice and truth in the face of Egypt’s military regime led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The film also includes exclusive testimony from Alessandra Ballerini, the lawyer who has supported the family through years of legal proceedings. That process led in 2023 to the opening of a trial against four officers of Egypt’s National Security agency. Proceedings began in spring 2024, with a verdict expected by the end of 2026.
Regeni was 27 years old when he disappeared. Raised in Fiumicello Villa Vicentina, near Udine, he studied internationally, attending the United World College in New Mexico before graduating in Arabic and Politics at the University of Leeds and later completing a master’s degree in Development Studies at University of Cambridge. He became a doctoral researcher there in 2014.
In 2015, he moved to Cairo to conduct research into Egyptian trade unions on behalf of Cambridge University, during a period of significant political tension following the rise of al-Sisi’s military government. On January 25, 2016—the anniversary of the Tahrir Square revolution—Regeni disappeared. His family was informed two days later and immediately travelled to Egypt. One week later, the case became public. His body was discovered on February 3 on the outskirts of Cairo, bearing clear signs of severe torture.
The title of the documentary comes from the words of his mother, who said after identifying him: “I saw all the evil in the world on his face.”
Speaking about the project, director Simone Manetti said the film is not designed as an investigative thriller or a true-crime reconstruction, but as an intimate journey through the story from the perspective of those who lived it directly. Combining archive footage, legal material and found footage imagery, the documentary aims to immerse viewers emotionally rather than simply explain events.
With the case remaining one of the most debated and symbolic international stories involving Italy in the past decade, Giulio Regeni – All the Evil in the World brings renewed attention to a tragedy that continues to resonate far beyond national borders.
