Virzì made his directorial début in 1994, with "La bella vita", originally titled "Dimenticare Piombino" ("Forgetting Piombino") after the Tuscan city the film is set in. Virzì's first feature film stars Sabrina Ferilli and Massimo Ghini, and tells the story of a love triangle set against the backdrop of the irreversible identity crisis of the Italian working class. The movie was presented at the 1994 Venice International Film Festival and won the Ciak d’oro prize, the Nastro d'Argento (Silver Ribbon) award and the prestigious David di Donatello Award in the "Best New Director" category. With this début, Paolo revealed his exceptional talent in directing actors and in mixing drama with humor.