The Big Fake (2026)

Toni Chichiarelli arrives in Rome with the dream of becoming a painter, but his talent leads him elsewhere — from art galleries to state secrets. Between art, crime, and power, his signature ends up everywhere — even in the history of Italy.

Based on a True Story: The Big Fake is inspired by the real-life story of Antonio "Tony" Chichiarelli, an artist who became involved in Rome's criminal underworld. The film blends fact and fiction to explore his life.
Artistic Fraud: The movie reframes artistic fraud as adaptive intelligence within a cultural system that is obsessed with power, legacy, and authorship. The film treats forgery as a creative practice and a social strategy.
The "Tailor": In the movie, the "Tailor" is a shadowy figure that forces Toni to forge a Red Brigades flyer. In reality, the "Tailor" is a cinematic stand-in for the Servizi Deviati (Deviated Secret Services).
Iggy Pop Soundtrack: The film's soundtrack includes Iggy Pop's "The Passenger," which accompanies Toni and his friends as they seek their fortunes in Rome. The film features several "first-rate needle drops".
Moral Ambiguity: Toni isn't portrayed as a villain or hero, but as someone who mistakes talent for immunity. His biggest flaw is not greed, but indifference.