Damiano Damiani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Damiano Damiani
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Damiani in 1990
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| Born | 23 July 1922 Pasiano di Pordenone, Friuli, Kingdom of Italy
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| Died | 7 March 2013 (aged 90) Rome, Italy
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| Years active | 1947–2002 |
Damiano Damiani (born 23 July 1922 – died 7 March 2013) was a talented Italian filmmaker. He was a screenwriter (someone who writes movie scripts), a film director (who guides the making of a movie), an actor, and a writer.
A famous poet and director, Pier Paolo Pasolini, once called him "a bitter moralist hungry for old purity." This means Damiani often made films that looked closely at society's problems. Another film expert, Paolo Mereghetti, said Damiani's style made him "the most American of Italian directors." This suggests his films had a direct and powerful way of telling stories, similar to American movies.
In 1946, Damiani joined a group of artists in Venice. This group included Fernando Carcupino, Hugo Pratt, and Dino Battaglia.
Life and Career
Damiano Damiani was born in Pasiano di Pordenone, Italy. He studied art at the Brera Academy in Milan. His first work in film was a documentary called La banda d'Affari in 1947. A documentary is a non-fiction film that shows real events or people.
After writing scripts for several years, he directed his first full-length movie in 1960. It was called Il rossetto.
Before becoming a well-known screenwriter, Damiani also drew comics. He was part of the "Group of Venice" that focused on comics. One of their main comics was Asso di Picche (1945–1949). This comic was about a masked hero who fought crime around the world. He led a group called the "Band of Panthers."
Damiani also drew for other smaller comics. He helped create Mike Lazy in 1946. He also made his own gangster comic called Pat la Rocca in 1946. Later, he wrote stories for a photo comic strip called Arizona Kid in 1949. He also worked on adventure comics like I Tre Boyscouts.
His 1962 film, Arturo's Island, won a special award called the Golden Shell. This award was given at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. The 1960s were a very successful time for Damiani. Critics liked his films, and many people went to see them.
In 1966, he directed A Bullet for the General. This was one of the first "political spaghetti Westerns." These films were Westerns made in Italy that often had messages about society or politics.
In 1968, he made The Day of the Owl. With this film, he started making movies that looked at social problems. These films often explored the connections between powerful people and organized crime. His 1971 film Confessions of a Police Captain won the Golden Prize at the 7th Moscow International Film Festival.
In 1973, Damiani also tried acting. He played Giovanni Amendola in a film called The Assassination of Matteotti. Many fans of horror movies know him for directing Amityville II: The Possession in 1982.
In 1984, he directed a very famous Italian TV series called La piovra. This show explored the world of organized crime in Italy and how it affected politics. His last movie was Assassini dei giorni di festa, which he directed in 2002.
Death
Damiano Damiani passed away on 7 March 2013. He was 90 years old. He died at his home in Rome due to breathing problems.
Filmography
Screenwriter
- The Mysteries of Paris (1957)
- Herod the Great (1958)
- Head of a Tyrant (1959)
Director
- Lipstick (Il rossetto, 1960)
- Blood Feud (1961)
- Arturo's Island (L'isola di Arturo, 1962)
- The Empty Canvas (La noia, 1963)
- The Reunion (La rimpatriata, 1963)
- The Witch in Love (La strega in amore, 1966)
- A Bullet for the General (El Chuncho, quien sabe?, 1966)
- The Day of the Owl (Il giorno della civetta, 1967)
- A Complicated Girl (Una ragazza piuttosto complicata, 1968)
- The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella, 1970)
- Confessions of a Police Captain (Confessioni di un Commissario di Polizia al Procuratore della Repubblica) (1971)
- The Case Is Closed, Forget It (L'istruttoria è chiusa: dimentichi, 1972)
- The Assassin of Rome (Girolimoni, il mostro di Roma, 1972)
- The Devil Is a Woman (Sorriso del grande tentatore, 1974)
- How to Kill a Judge (Perché si uccide un magistrato, 1974)
- A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe (Un genio, due compari, un pollo, 1975)
- Goodbye and Amen (Goodbye e amen, 1977)
- I Am Afraid (Io ho paura) (1977)
- A Man on His Knees (Un uomo in ginocchio) (1978)
- The Warning (L'Avvertimento, 1980)
- Amityville II: The Possession (1982)
- Parole e sangue (1983, TV)
- La piovra (1984, TV)
- Pizza Connection (1985)
- The Inquiry (L'inchiesta, 1986)
- Imago urbis (1987)
- Massacre Play (1989)
- Lenin...The Train (1990, TV)
- The Dark Sun (Il sole buio, 1990)
- Man of Respect (Uomo di rispetto) (1992)
- L'angelo con la pistola (1992)
- Una bambina di troppo (1994, TV)
- Ama il tuo nemico (1999, TV)
- Alex l'ariete (2000)
- Ama il tuo nemico 2 (2001, TV)
- Another World Is Possible (Un altro mondo è possibile, 2001)
- Assassini dei giorni di festa (2002)
Actor
- 7 Bullets for Gringo (1967) - Journalist
- The Case Is Closed, Forget It (1971) - Vanzi's lawyer
- The Assassination of Matteotti (1973) - Giovanni Amendola
- How to Kill a Judge (1975) - Giacomo Solaris' Attorney (his last film role)
Awards
- Golden Seashell at San Sebastián International Film Festival for L'isola di Arturo (1962)
- Berlin FIPRESCI Prize – Honorable Mention, for La rimpatriata (1963)
- Silver Berlin Bear – Honorable Mention for Pizza Connection (1985)
- David di Donatello, Alitalia Award, for L'Inchiesta (1986)
- Golden Prize at Moscow Film Festival for Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della repubblica (1971)
Nominations
- Golden Berlin Bear for Pizza Connection (1985)
- Golden Berlin Bear for Il giorno della civetta (1968)
- Golden Berlin Bear for La rimpatriata (1963)
See also
In Spanish: Damiano Damiani para niños
- Fernando Carcupino
- Hugo Pratt
- Dino Battaglia
