Gianni Amelio (born 20 January 1945) is an Italian
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
province of Catanzaro
The province of Catanzaro ( it, provincia di Catanzaro; Catanzarese: ) is a province of the Calabria region of Italy. The city Catanzaro is both capital of the province and capital of the region of Calabria. The province contains a total of 80 ...
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
soon after his birth. He spent his youth and adolescence with his mother and his grandmother. The absence of a paternal figures will be a constant in Amelio's future works.
During his university studies of philosophy in
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
, Amelio got interested in cinema, writing as film critic for a local magazine. In 1965 he moved to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, where he worked as operator and assistant director for figures such as
Liliana Cavani
Liliana Cavani (born 12 January 1933, Carpi, Italy) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. She belongs to a generation of Italian filmmakers from Emilia-Romagna that came into prominence in the 1970s, including Bernardo Bertolucci, Pier P ...
and
Vittorio De Seta
Vittorio De Seta (15 October 1923 – 28 November 2011) was an Italian cinema director and screenwriter, considered Italian cinema's great imaginative realists of the 1960s.La città del sole'', directed in 1973 for
RAI TV
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...
and inspired to
Tommaso Campanella
Tommaso Campanella (; 5 September 1568 – 21 May 1639), baptized Giovanni Domenico Campanella, was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, theologian, astrologer, and poet.
He was prosecuted by the Roman Inquisition for heresy in 1594 and w ...
1900
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...
'' shooting, and the thriller '' Effetti speciali''. Two years later he directed the mystery ''
La morte al lavoro
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
Hyères
Hyères (), Provençal Occitan: ''Ieras'' in classical norm, or ''Iero'' in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
The old town lies from the sea clustered around t ...
festivals. '' The Little Archimedes'' (''Il piccolo Archimede'') of 1979 was also critically acclaimed.
In 1982 he debuted for cinema proper with ''
Blow to the Heart
''Blow to the Heart'' ( it, Colpire al cuore) is a 1982 Italian drama film directed by Gianni Amelio. The film entered the competition at the 39th Venice Film Festival. Fausto Rossi won a Silver Ribbon and a David di Donatello as best new acto ...
'' (''Colpire al cuore''), about Italian terrorism, presented at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
. In 1987 Amelio released ''
I ragazzi di via Panisperna
' (''Via Panisperna Boys'') is an Italian movie by director Gianni Amelio, telling the enthusiasms, fears, joys and disappointments of the (private and professional) life of a well-known group of young men fond of physics and mathematics, who ...
'', about the lives of 1930 Italian physicists such as
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi (; 29 September 1901 – 28 November 1954) was an Italian (later naturalized American) physicist and the creator of the world's first nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1. He has been called the "architect of the nuclear age" and ...
and
Edoardo Amaldi
Edoardo Amaldi (5 September 1908 – 5 December 1989) was an Italian physicist. He coined the term "neutrino" in conversations with Enrico Fermi distinguishing it from the heavier "neutron". He has been described as "one of the leading nuclear ...
, which won the award for best screenplay at the
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...
Film Festival. 1989's '' Open Doors'' (''Porte aperte''), featuring
Gian Maria Volonté
Gian Maria Volonté (9 April 1933 – 6 December 1994) was an Italian actor, including roles in four Spaghetti Western films: Ramón Rojo in Sergio Leone's ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964) and El Indio in Leone's '' For a Few Dollars More'' ( ...
, confirmed Amelio's status as one of Italy's best film directors and won a nomination as Best Foreign Film at 1991 Academy Awards. The film received also four Felix, two
Silver Ribbon
The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani ...
, four David di Donatello and three Golden Globes awards.
Also successful was ''
The Stolen Children
''The Stolen Children'' ( it, Il ladro di bambini) is a 1992 Italian film directed by Gianni Amelio. The film was selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 65th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Plot ...
'' (''Il ladro di bambini'') in 1992, which won the Special Prize of Jury at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival plus two Silver Ribbon and 5 David di Donatello. In 1994 ''
Lamerica
''Lamerica'' is a 1994 Italian drama film directed by Gianni Amelio. It entered the competition at the 51st Venice International Film Festival, in which Amelio won the Golden Osella for Best Director. The film was selected as the Italian entry fo ...
'', about Albanian immigration in Italy, repeated the fate and the success, with 2 Silver Ribbons and 3 Davids. Four years later, ''
The Way We Laughed
''The Way We Laughed'' (Italian language: ''Così ridevano'') is a 1998 Italian film directed by Gianni Amelio. It tells the story of two Sicilian brothers, Giovanni and Pietro, who emigrate to the city of Turin. Giovanni works hard to help Piet ...
'' (''Così ridevano'') won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Amelio gained another Silver Ribbon as best director for '' The Keys to the House'' (''Le chiavi di casa''), inspired to a novel by
Giuseppe Pontiggia
Giuseppe Pontiggia (; 25 September 1934 – 27 June 2003) was an Italian writer and literary critic.
Biography
He was born in Como, and moved to Milan with his family in 1948. In 1959 he graduated from the Università Cattolica in Milan with a ...
, of 2004.
Amelio was a member of jury at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
in 1995. In 2006 he released his eighth feature film, ''
The Missing Star
''La stella che non c'è'' ( English title: ''The Missing Star'') is an Italian 2006 drama film written and directed by Gianni Amelio.
The story talks about an Italian engineer who went to China to fix a defect of old Italian steel-making equipm ...
'' (''La stella che non c'è''), featuring Sergio Castellitto. From 2009 to 2012 he has been director of
Torino Film Festival
The Torino Film Festival (also called the Turin Film Festival, TFF) is an international film festival held annually in Turin, Italy. Held every November, it is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival. It was f ...
,
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
.
Amelio came out as gay late in life, shortly before the release of his 2014 documentary ''Happy to be Different''.Berlin Film Review: 'Happy to Be Different' Variety, 12 February 2014
La morte al lavoro
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
Blow to the Heart
''Blow to the Heart'' ( it, Colpire al cuore) is a 1982 Italian drama film directed by Gianni Amelio. The film entered the competition at the 39th Venice Film Festival. Fausto Rossi won a Silver Ribbon and a David di Donatello as best new acto ...
'' (1982)
* ''
I ragazzi di via Panisperna
' (''Via Panisperna Boys'') is an Italian movie by director Gianni Amelio, telling the enthusiasms, fears, joys and disappointments of the (private and professional) life of a well-known group of young men fond of physics and mathematics, who ...
The Stolen Children
''The Stolen Children'' ( it, Il ladro di bambini) is a 1992 Italian film directed by Gianni Amelio. The film was selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 65th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Plot ...
'' (1992)
* ''
Lamerica
''Lamerica'' is a 1994 Italian drama film directed by Gianni Amelio. It entered the competition at the 51st Venice International Film Festival, in which Amelio won the Golden Osella for Best Director. The film was selected as the Italian entry fo ...
'' (1994)
* ''
The Way We Laughed
''The Way We Laughed'' (Italian language: ''Così ridevano'') is a 1998 Italian film directed by Gianni Amelio. It tells the story of two Sicilian brothers, Giovanni and Pietro, who emigrate to the city of Turin. Giovanni works hard to help Piet ...
The Missing Star
''La stella che non c'è'' ( English title: ''The Missing Star'') is an Italian 2006 drama film written and directed by Gianni Amelio.
The story talks about an Italian engineer who went to China to fix a defect of old Italian steel-making equipm ...
'' (2006)
* ''
The First Man
''The First Man'' (french: Le Premier homme) is Albert Camus' unfinished final novel.
On January 4, 1960, at the age of forty-six, Camus died in a car accident. The incomplete manuscript of ''The First Man'', the autobiographical novel Camus wa ...
'' (2011)
* ''
L'intrepido
''L'intrepido'' is a 2013 Italian comedy film directed by Gianni Amelio. It was screened in the main competition section of the 70th Venice International Film Festival and in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Fi ...
Nastro d'Argento
The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani ...
Best Director
**''Open Doors'' (1991)
**''The Stolen Children'' (1993)
**''Lamerica'' (1995)
**''The Keys to the House'' (2005)
* Leone d'Oro at
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
**''The Way We Laughed'' (1998)
*
European Film Awards
The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the mo ...
Best Film
**''Open Doors'' (1991)
**''The Stolen Children'' (1993)
**''Lamerica'' (1995)
References
Bibliography
* Academic article on Lamerica, See link: https://www.academia.edu/3379912/Inside_the_Beasts_Cage_Gianni_Amelios_Lamerica_and_the_Dilemmas_of_Post-1989_Leftist_Cinema
* ''Raccontare i sentimenti. Il Cinema di Gianni Amelio'', a cura di Sebastiano Gesù, Giuseppe Maimone Editore, Catania 2008