Edoardo Bove’s recovery story becomes a film
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Edoardo Bove, a young football player, experienced a cardiac arrest during a Serie A match between Fiorentina and Inter on December 1, 2024.
He collapsed on the field and received immediate medical attention at a hospital in Florence, where doctors implanted a subcutaneous defibrillator to save his life. Following his recovery, Giovanni Troilo directed a documentary titled “In un battito” (“In a heartbeat”) about Bove’s personal journey and resilience.
The film will premiere at the Rome Film Fest in October 2026 and then be shown in cinemas from November 16 to 18. The documentary explores the psychological impact of Bove’s experience, as the 22-year-old athlete questioned his identity without football. Despite the life-saving device allowing him to live normally, Italian regulations currently prevent athletes with implanted defibrillators from playing in Serie A. Bove responded by joining Watford, a team in the English Championship, in January 2026.
Bove’s experience also spurred political action. Carlo Calenda and Marco Lombardo proposed the “Legge Bove” (“Bove Law”) in the Italian Senate. This law aims to improve cardiac arrest survival rates by requiring first aid courses and wider access to defibrillators.
The law would mandate first aid training for high school and vocational students, physical education teachers, and as a requirement for certain public sector jobs, addressing a gap in preparedness given that approximately 65,000 people in Italy die annually from lack of immediate care during cardiac arrest.
