Francesco Rosi

Francesco Rosi (born November 15, 1922 in Naples) is an Italian film director. He is the father of the actress Carolina Rosi.

Biography

After initially studying Law while hoping to study film, Rosi entered the film industry as an assistant to Luchino Visconti on "La Terra trema" (1948). He made his debut as a director with the film "Camicie Rosse" ("Red Shirts"). This was a project that he took over from leading director Goffredo Alessandrini after he withdrew from production in 1952. It was considered a promising start for the young director. His true emergence as a director is considered to be his 1958 film "La Sfida" ("The Challenge"). The realist nature of this film also caused a stir alluding to mafia control of the government.

Throughout the 1960's Rosi made films that centre around controversial issues, starting with "Salvatore Giuliano", a film that won him won the Silver Bear award for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1962.

In 1965 his "Momento della Verità" ("Moment of Truth") tells the story of Miguel, a boy who eventually becomes a bullfighter and dies in this deadly profession. This film articulates the dangers to the animals and the matadors in this deadly sport. The film, however, is considered to be a mediocre effort from Rosi.

From the years 1972 to 1976 Rosi made three films that are considered to be responsible for his emergence as a great director. The first was "Il Caso Mattei" ("Mattei Affair") in 1972 which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival, followed by "A proposito Lucky Luciano" ("Lucky Luciano") in 1974 and "Cadaveri Eccellenti" ("Illustrious Corpses") in 1976. This four year span of film making cemented Rosi's reputation internationally as a director.

Rosi's films always appear to have political messages, especially his aforementioned work in the 1960s and 1970s. As he matured as a director his topics for films became less politically oriented and more angled toward literature. Despite the more traditional slant of his later work, Rosi continued to direct until 1997.

The 58th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival in 2008 played tribute to Francesco Rosi by screening 13 films in its "Homage" section, the latter being reserved to filmmakers of outstanding quality and achievement. He received the Golden Bear (award) for Lifetime Achievement on February 14, 2008, accompanied with the screening of "Salvatore Giuliano".

Filmography

*"Redshirts "(1952)
*"Kean "(1956)
*"The Challenge" or "La Sfida" (1958)
*"The Magliari "(1959)
*"Salvatore Giuliano" (1962)
*"Hands Over the City "(1963)
*"The Moment of Truth "(1965)
*"More Than a Miracle "(1967)
*"Many Wars Ago "(1970)
*"The Mattei Affair "(1972)
*"Lucky Luciano "(1974)
*"Cadaveri eccellenti "(1976)
*"Christ Stopped at Eboli "(1979)
*"Three Brothers "(1981)
*"Carmen "(1984)
*"Chronicle of a Death Foretold" (1987)
*"12 registi per 12 città" (1989, a collaboration work with 11 other directors)
*"Palermo "(1990)
*"Neapolitan Diary "(1992)
*"The Truce" (1997)

References

*"Poet of Civic Courage- The Films of Francesco Rosi", Edited by Carlo Testa
*"Hands Over the City": cinema as political indictment and social commitment, Manuela Gieri 1996
* "58th Berlinale - Homage 2008 Francesco Rosi" [http://www.berlinale.de/en/das_festival/festival-sektionen/hommage/index.html]

External links

* [http://www.ericjlyman.com/thr2008rosi.html Q&A with Rosi] from The Hollywood Reporter
* [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/03/rosi.html Biography of Francesco Rosi] from Senses of Cinema
*imdb name|id=0742940|name=Francesco Rosi
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/francesco-rosi-1 More on Rosi from Answers.com]

Persondata
NAME=Rosi, Francesco
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Rosi, Franco
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Italian film director
DATE OF BIRTH=November 15, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH=Naples, Italy