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Valerio Zurlini
ValerioZurlini.jpg
Born (1926-03-19)19 March 1926
Died 26 October 1982(1982-10-26) (aged 56)
Verona, Italy
Occupation Film director
Years active 1944–1976

Valerio Zurlini (born March 19, 1926 – died October 26, 1982) was a famous Italian film director. He also worked as a stage director for plays and wrote many movie scripts.

Valerio Zurlini's Early Life and Career

Valerio Zurlini was born in Bologna, Italy. He later moved to Rome to study law. While studying, he discovered his passion for theatre and started working on plays.

Joining the Resistance Movement

In 1943, during World War II, Zurlini joined the Italian resistance. This was a group of people who fought against the government that was in power at the time. He also became involved in politics.

First Steps in Filmmaking

After the war, Zurlini started making short documentary films. These films showed real-life events and people. In 1954, he directed his first full-length movie, The Girls of San Frediano. This was his only comedy film.

Winning Awards for His Work

In 1958, Zurlini and his team won a special award called the Silver Ribbon. They won it for the best script for a movie called Guendalina. This award is one of the oldest and most important film awards in Italy.

Zurlini became well-known as a director with his second movie, Violent Summer (1959). This film starred famous actors like Eleonora Rossi Drago and Jean Louis Trintignant.

Key Films and Achievements

Valerio Zurlini directed many important films throughout his career. He was known for making movies that explored deep emotions and human relationships.

Working with Famous Actors

In 1961, Zurlini directed Girl with a Suitcase. This movie was a big success. It starred Claudia Cardinale, who became a huge film star in Italy. It also featured Jacques Perrin, who became Zurlini's favorite actor and worked with him on many projects.

Winning the Golden Lion

Zurlini's film Family Diary (1962) won the prestigious Golden Lion award. This award is given at the Venice Film Festival, one of the oldest film festivals in the world. His film shared the award with Ivan's Childhood, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

Adapting Books for the Screen

Zurlini was very skilled at turning books into movies. Both The Girls of San Frediano and Family Diary were based on books by the Italian writer Vasco Pratolini. Zurlini also admired the writer Giorgio Bassani. He hoped to make a movie from Bassani's book The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, but another director, Vittorio De Sica, ended up making that film in 1971.

International Recognition

His 1965 film The Camp Followers was shown at the 4th Moscow International Film Festival. It won the Special Silver Prize there, showing his films were recognized around the world.

His Last Major Film

Zurlini's final film was The Desert of the Tartars (1976). This movie was produced by his friend Jacques Perrin. It featured many famous actors and was based on a book by Dino Buzzati.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1977, Valerio Zurlini was a judge at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival. In the same year, he won two more major Italian awards for his film The Desert of the Tartars: the David di Donatello for Best Director and the Silver Ribbon for Best Director.

Artistic Influences

The way Zurlini's films looked was often inspired by the paintings of famous Italian artists. These included Giorgio de Chirico, Giorgio Morandi, and Ottone Rosai.

Teaching and Death

In his later years, Zurlini taught filmmaking at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. This is a very important film school in Italy. He passed away in Verona on October 26, 1982.

Rediscovery of His Work

After Zurlini died, his films were not as well-known for a while. However, in the 2000s, people started to rediscover his amazing work. Many of his films were shown again at festivals around the world. In 2006, some of his movies, like The Desert of the Tartars, Violent Summer, and Girl With a Suitcase, were released on DVD.

Filmography

  • The Girls of San Frediano (1954)
  • Guendalina (1957)
  • Violent Summer (1959)
  • Girl with a Suitcase (1961)
  • Family Diary (1962)
  • Le soldatesse (1965)
  • Seduto alla sua destra (1968)
  • The Professor (a.k.a. Indian Summer) (1972)
  • The Desert of the Tartars (1976)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Valerio Zurlini para niños

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