A Q&A with the filmmakers follows the film. Set against the backdrop of Ronald Reagan’s America, Mario traces Mario Cuomo’s journey from the son of Italian immigrants to the New York governor who championed government as a force for compassion. Weaved together through archival footage, reflections from his family, and excerpts from his personal diaries, the film portrays a leader shaped by humility, intellect, and the struggles of his parents’ generation. His early legal battles defending working-class families against powerful interests became the foundation for his belief that politics should serve those without privilege. That conviction would guide him through decades of leadership defined by empathy, eloquence, and an unwavering sense of moral duty.