Franco Zeffirelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Franco Zeffirelli KBE  Grande Ufficiale OMRI
Zeffirelli in 1972
Born	Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (1923-02-12)12 February 1923 Florence, Italy
Died	15 June 2019(2019-06-15) (aged 96) Rome, Italy
Alma mater	Academy of Fine Arts of Florence
Occupation	Film director opera director politician
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Political party	Christian Democracy (before 1994) Forza Italia (1994–2001)
Children	2 (adopted)
Member of the Senate of the Republic
In office 21 April 1994 – 29 May 2001
Constituency	Catania
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1942–1945
Unit	24th Guards Brigade
Battles/wars	World War II

Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (born February 12, 1923 – died June 15, 2019) was a famous Italian director. He directed films, operas, and plays. He was also a politician.

Zeffirelli was known for his amazing and grand productions of classic stories. He made popular film versions of plays by William Shakespeare, like The Taming of the Shrew (1967) and Romeo and Juliet (1968). For Romeo and Juliet, he was nominated for an Oscar. He also directed Hamlet (1990).

Another very popular work was his TV series Jesus of Nazareth (1977). This series is still shown often around Christmas and Easter. Zeffirelli received many awards for his work, including an honorary British knighthood.

Early Life and Education

Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli was born in Florence, Italy. His mother chose the name "Zeffiretti," which means "little breezes." It came from an opera she loved by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, his name was accidentally written as Zeffirelli.

When he was six, his mother passed away. He was then cared for by an English community in Florence. This group later inspired his film Tea with Mussolini (1999).

Researchers found that Zeffirelli was related to the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci. He was a descendant of one of da Vinci's siblings.

Zeffirelli finished art school in 1941. He then studied art and architecture at the University of Florence. During World War II, he fought as a partisan. He later worked as an interpreter for British soldiers. After the war, he returned to his studies. But after seeing a film called Henry V, he decided to focus on theatre.

He started working as an assistant director for Luchino Visconti on the film La Terra trema in 1948. Visconti's way of working greatly influenced Zeffirelli. He also worked with other famous directors like Vittorio De Sica. In the 1960s, Zeffirelli became well-known for directing plays in London and New York. Soon, he began directing films too.

A Look at Zeffirelli's Career

Directing Films

Zeffirelli with Olivia Hussey while filming Romeo and Juliet in 1967

Zeffirelli's first film as a director was The Taming of the Shrew (1967). It starred famous actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. They even helped pay for the film's production.

While Zeffirelli was editing this film, his hometown of Florence was hit by terrible floods in 1966. A month later, he released a short documentary called Florence: Days of Destruction. This film helped raise money to help the city recover.

His big success came with Romeo and Juliet (1968). This film made Zeffirelli very famous. Film critic Roger Ebert called it "the most exciting film of Shakespeare ever made."

After his successful Shakespeare films, Zeffirelli directed movies with religious themes. These included Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972), about St. Francis of Assisi, and the popular TV series Jesus of Nazareth (1977).

He also directed a remake of the boxing movie The Champ (1979). In the 1980s, he made several successful films that brought operas to the big screen. He returned to Shakespeare with Hamlet (1990), starring Mel Gibson. His film Jane Eyre (1996) was also well-received.

Zeffirelli often chose new actors for important roles. Some examples include Leonard Whiting in Romeo and Juliet and Graham Faulkner in Brother Sun, Sister Moon.

Directing Operas

Zeffirelli was also a very important director of opera productions. He started in the theatre as an assistant. His first directing jobs were for funny operas by Gioachino Rossini.

He became good friends with the famous singer Maria Callas. They worked together on an opera called La traviata in 1958. He also directed her in Tosca in 1964 and Norma in 1964.

Over the years, Zeffirelli created many productions for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. These included famous operas like La bohème, Tosca, and Turandot. When the new Metropolitan Opera building opened, he directed its very first show, Antony and Cleopatra.

Honors and Recognitions

Zeffirelli received many awards and honors for his contributions to the arts. In 1996, he was given an honorary degree by the University of Kent. In 1999, he won the Crystal Globe award for his amazing artistic work in world cinema. In 2004, the United Kingdom gave him an honorary knighthood.

Awards and Nominations Overview

Personal Life

Franco Zeffirelli adopted two adult sons. These men had lived with him and worked for him for many years, helping manage his affairs.

Death

Franco Zeffirelli passed away at his home in Rome on June 15, 2019. He was 96 years old.

Selected Filmography

• La Bohème (1965; production designer only)
• Florence: Days of Destruction (1966) (documentary short)
• The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
• Romeo and Juliet (1968) – Academy Award nominee, director
• Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972)
• Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
• Cavalleria rusticana (1978) with Tatiana Troyanos and Plácido Domingo (live Metropolitan Opera House – stage director)
• Pagliacci (1978) with Teresa Stratas, Sherrill Milnes and Plácido Domingo (live Metropolitan Opera House – stage director)
• Carmen (1978)
• The Champ (1979)
• Endless Love (1981) – Razzie Award nominee
• Pagliacci (1982) with Plácido Domingo and Teresa Stratas
• Cavalleria rusticana (1982) with Plácido Domingo and Elena Obraztsova
• La Bohème (1982) (live Metropolitan Opera – stage director)
• La Traviata (1983) – Academy Award nominee, BAFTA winner, art direction; with Teresa Stratas and Plácido Domingo
• Tosca (1985) (live Metropolitan Opera – stage director)
• Otello (1986) – BAFTA winner, foreign language film; with Plácido Domingo and Katia Ricciarelli
• Young Toscanini (1988)
• Hamlet (1990)
• Don Giovanni (live Metropolitan Opera – stage director)
• Don Carlo with Luciano Pavarotti and Daniela Dessì (live La Scala – stage director)
• Storia di una capinera (also known as Sparrow; 1993) with Sheherazade Ventura
• Jane Eyre (1996)
• Tea with Mussolini (1999)
• Callas Forever (2002)

See also

In Spanish: Franco Zeffirelli para niños