<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $3.5 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $38.9 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Call Me by Your Name (Italian: Chiamami col tuo nome) is a 2017 coming - of - age drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by André Aciman . It is the final installment in Guadagnino's thematic Desire trilogy, following I Am Love (2009) and A Bigger Splash (2015). Set in Northern Italy in 1983, Call Me by Your Name chronicles the romantic relationship between Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a 17 - year - old living in Italy, and his father's 24 - year - old American assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer). The film also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, and Victoire Du Bois . </P> <P> Call Me by Your Name began development in 2007, when producers Peter Spears and Howard Rosenman optioned the screen rights to Aciman's novel . Ivory had been set to co-direct the film, but ended up writing the script and producing instead . Guadagnino, who came on board as a location consultant, eventually became director and producer . The film was financed by several international companies, and principal photography mainly took place in Crema, Italy in May and June 2016 . Cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom shot the film on 35 - mm film . </P>

Call me by your name what is it about