- Roberto Faenza
Roberto Faenza (born
February 21 ,1943 inTurin, Italy ) is a successful Italian director.Born in
Turin in1943 , Roberto Faenza gets a degree in Political Science and a diploma at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia.
He makes his directing debut in1968 with a great international success, "Escalation", a film that describes the different sides of power through the relationship between a middle-class father and his hippie son. Immediately after that he realises "H2S", an angry apology of the 1968 movement, seized two days after its release and never distributed anymore. Upon this sequestration he goes to the United States to teach at the Federal City College of Washington DC.
In1978 he makes "Forza Italia!", a ferocious satire on the power of the Italian Christian Democrat party covering thirty years of Italian political history. The film is withdrawn from the theatres on the day Aldo Moro, President of the Christian Democrats, is kidnapped, and remains banned for over 15 years.Aldo Moro being the one who will end his life recommending (in his handwritten memoirs found in the den of theRed Brigades in via Monte Nevoso inMilan ) to see the film “if one wants to realize the recklessness of his fellow party members”.
In1980 Faenza picks on the Italian Communist Party with "Si salvi chi vuole". Considered as a politically incorrect director, he is forced to work outside ofItaly to be able to find financing: in1983 he shoots "Copkiller" inNew York withHarvey Keitel ,Nicole Garcia and the leader of theSex Pistols ,Johnny Rotten .
His activities are not limited to cinema: author of essays and books (best known among them: "Senza chiedere permesso", "Il malaffare", "Gli americani in Italia"), upon his return in Italy he starts teaching Mass Communication at Pisa University.After "Copkiller" he becomes inspired by literature as a source of stories.
In1990 he makes "The Bachelor", based on a short story byArthur Schnitzler with a prestigious cast:Keith Carradine ,Miranda Richardson ,Kristin Scott Thomas andMax Von Sidow . In1993 he directs "Jonah who Lived in the Whale" for which he is awarded with theDavid di Donatello for Best Director. Two years later yet another novel (this time byAntonio Tabucchi ) is his source of inspiration: "Sostiene Pereira ",Marcello Mastroianni ’s last Italian film, the latter awarded with aDavid di Donatello as Best Leading Actor. In1997 he makes "Marianna Ucria" based on the novel "La lunga vita di Marianna Ucria" byDacia Maraini . In1999 he directs "The Lost Lover", ispired on the bestseller byAbraham B. Yehoshua about the ongoing clash betweenJews andPalestinians . In2003 he obtains another international success, "The Soul Keeper", based on the burning passion betweenCarl Gustav Jung and his young Russian patientSabina Spielrein .
His most recent films are: "Come into the Light", about the life of Don Puglisi, the parish priest killed inPalermo by themafia in1993 , played byLuca Zingaretti (Nomination European Academy Award (EFA) as Best Director2005 ; David Giovani Best Film Award; Flaiano Best Leading Actor Award and Audience Award for the Best Film; Best Leading Actor Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2005; San Fedele Best Film Award); "The Days of Abandonment", inspired on the novel byElena Ferrante , withMargherita Buy , Luca Zingaretti and the musicianGoran Bregovic .External links
*imdb|id=0264967|name=Roberto Faenza
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