Once Upon a Time in Bethlehem

Salvo is a thief in Palermo who specialises in stealing religious art and makes no secret of his atheism. Father Valentino is a priest in the small town of Roccadimezzo Sicula, devoted to the Christmas crib. When Salvo tries to steal a valuable relic from the priest's church just before the holidays, Valentino gives chase, and the two are thrown back through time to Palestine in the year zero, only days before the birth of Jesus. Stranded far from home, they find themselves caught up in the events surrounding the Nativity and must summon the courage to face King Herod and protect the newborn child.

The comedy is directed by its two leads, Salvatore Ficarra and Valentino Picone, who also wrote the screenplay with Nicola Guaglianone. It is the sixth feature the pair directed together, following It's the Law in 2017, and it was produced by Attilio De Razza through Medusa Film, Sky Cinema and Tramp Limited. Massimo Popolizio plays Herod, with Roberta Mattei, Giacomo Mattia and Giovanna Marchetti in supporting roles.

Released in December 2019, the film had a budget of about 6 million dollars and took roughly 17 million dollars worldwide, a strong return. Audience response was mixed: on IMDb it holds 5.5 out of 10 from about 1,500 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.1 out of 10 from some 520 votes.