Synopsis
Once Upon a Time in Bethlehem (Il primo Natale, 2019) is an Italian fantasy comedy you can watch online on iFILM. Two men who couldn't be more different get flung two thousand years back in time, landing in Palestine just days before the first Christmas.
Salvo is a thief and a hardened nonbeliever who makes his living lifting sacred art from churches. Father Valentino is a gentle, trusting priest. On the eve of the holiday their worlds collide, and the pair suddenly find themselves stranded in biblical Judea with a job none of them asked for: keep ducking King Herod's soldiers and make sure the Nativity unfolds the way it's meant to. The two leads are played by the directors themselves, the Sicilian comic duo Salvatore Ficarra and Valentino Picone.
Ficarra and Picone, a household name in Italy from their sketch act, wrote, directed and star here. The humor stays warm and fable-like — underneath the time-travel gags sits a quiet back-and-forth about faith and doubt. It's easygoing holiday fare, ideal if you enjoy Italian comedy and want a laugh around the season. Stream Once Upon a Time in Bethlehem (2019) online on iFILM.
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