Made by Italian director and actor Michele Placido, Romanzo criminale won 15 awards all over the world. It is based on Giancarlo De Cataldo’s 2002 novel of the same name, which was inspired by the story of the Banda della Magliana gang. In 2008, a spin-off TV series produced by Sky Italia was broadcast in Italy and across the globe. This is the second most screened film in Italian Culture classes organized in foreign universities.