The Protagonists (1999 film)
# The Protagonists (1999 film)

The Protagonists is a 1999 crime thriller film written and directed by Luca Guadagnino in his directorial debut. It stars Tilda Swinton and Fabrizia Sacchi.

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 8, 1999, before being released on September 10, 1999, by Medusa Distribuzione.

## Cast

* Tilda Swinton as Actress
* Fabrizia Sacchi as herself
* Andrew Tiernan as Mohammed
* Claudio Gioè as Happy
* Paolo Briguglia as Billy
* Michelle Hunziker as Sue
* Jhelisa as herself
* Laura Betti as Judge

## Plot

The film chronicles an Italian film crew who are in London making a reconstruction of the real life killing of Egyptian chef Mohamed El-Sayed by the two 19-year-olds Jamie Petrolini and Richard Elsey in 1994.

## Production

Production on the film began in 1998, with principal photography taking place in London.

## Release

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 8, 1999. It was released in Italy on September 10, 1999, by Medusa Distribuzione.

It was released in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2014.

### Critical reception

The film received negative reviews from critics.

