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Nanni Moretti

Italian screenwriter, film director, and actor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nanni Moretti
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Giovanni "Nanni" Moretti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈnanni moˈretti]; born 19 August 1953) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor.

Quick facts Born, Occupations ...

He is most known for his Palme d'Or winner film The Son's Room (2001) and his Special Jury Prize winner film Sweet Dreams (1981). He is also the recipient of three David di Donatello Award for Best Film, for: Caro diario in 1994, The Son's Room in 2001, and The Caiman in 2006.

Every film he directed since Caro diario has been shown at main competition of the Cannes Film Festival. In 2012 he served as the jury president of the festival's main competition.

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Early life

Moretti was born in Bruneck, Italy[1] to Roman parents who were both teachers. His father was the late epigraphist Luigi Moretti, a Greek teacher at Sapienza University of Rome. His brother is literary scholar Franco Moretti.[2][3]

Career

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While growing up Moretti discovered his two passions, the cinema and water polo. Having finished his studies he pursued a career as a producer, and in 1973 directed his first two short films: Pâté de bourgeois and The Defeat (La sconfitta [it]).

In 1976, Nanni Moretti's first feature film Io sono un autarchico (I Am Self-Sufficient) was released. In 1978, he wrote, directed and starred in the movie Ecce Bombo, which tells the story of a student having problems with his entourage. It was screened at the Cannes Festival. Sogni d'oro won the Special Jury Prize at the 38th Venice International Film Festival. La messa è finita won the Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize at the 36th Berlin International Film Festival.[4]

Having played waterpolo in the B division of the Italian championship, his experience later inspired his 1989 film Red Wood Pigeon ("palombella," which literally means "little pigeon," refers to a type of lob shot).

He may be best known for his films Caro diario (1993; followed in 1998 by a sequel, Aprile) and La stanza del figlio (The Son's Room, 2001), the latter of which won the Palme d'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.[5]

The Caiman (2006) is in part about Berlusconi's controversies: in one of the three portraits of the Italian prime minister Moretti himself plays Berlusconi.[6] His 2011 film We Have a Pope screened In Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, follows the conclave election of new Pope.[7]

His 2015 film Mia Madre was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.[8] His 2021 and 2023 films Three Floors and A Brighter Tomorrow were also selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 and 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Moretti has used certain actors several times in his films, generally playing minor roles. His father Luigi appears in 6 films, Dario Cantarelli and Mauro Fabretti in 5, Antonio Petrocelli in 4. More notable Italian actors he has employed frequently in his films include Silvio Orlando, who appears in 5 films (including the role of protagonist in Il caimano) and Laura Morante, who was featured in Sogni d'oro, Bianca and The Son's Room. [citation needed]

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Nanni Moretti in 2007
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Personal life

Even though his works have not been widely seen outside Europe, within his country, Moretti is known as a maker of wryly humorous and eccentric films, usually starring himself.

Moretti says he is not religious. In his own words: "I remember the shirts that said 'Thank God I'm an atheist'. Funny. But I do not think so. I'm not a believer and I'm sorry".[9]

Moretti is also a famous outspoken political leftist in Italian politics. In 2002, he organized street protests against the government of Silvio Berlusconi, besides his own documentary film The Thing (La cosa), which follows the first meeting of Italian leftist militants after the Italian Communist Party's dissolution proposal in 1989.

He lives in Rome, having been resident since birth, where he is co-owner of a small movie theater, Nuovo Sacher, named like this because of Moretti's passion for Sachertorte.[10] The short film, Il Giorno della prima di Close Up (Opening Day of Close-Up, 1996), shows Moretti at his theatre attempting to encourage patrons to attend the opening day of Abbas Kiarostami's film, Close Up.

In April 2025, Moretti was hospitalised after suffering a heart attack.[11]

Filmography

Feature films

More information Year, English title ...

Short films

  • La sconfitta (1973 short)
  • Pâté de bourgeois (1973 short)
  • The Only Country In The World (L'unico paese al mondo, 1994 short)
  • Opening Day of Close-Up (Il Giorno della prima di Close Up, 1996 short)
  • The Last Customer (2002 short)
  • Il grido d'angoscia dell'uccello predatore (2003 short)
  • L'ultimo campionato (2007 short)
  • Diary Of A Moviegoer (Diario di uno spettatore, 2007 short of To Each His Own Cinema)
  • Film Quiz (2008 short)
  • Scava dolcemente l'addome (2013 short)
  • Autobiografia dell'uomo mascherato (2013 short)
  • Ischi allegri e clavicole sorridenti (2017 short)
  • Piazza Mazzini (2017 short)

Documentaries

  • Come parli frate? (1974 medium)
  • The Thing (La cosa, 1990 medium)
  • Santiago, Italia (2018 documentary)

Actor only

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Awards

  • Guild of German Art House Cinemas
  • Ciak d'oro Awards
    • Best Director 1986: The Mass Is Ended
    • Best Screenplay 1986: The Mass Is Ended
    • Best Director 1990: Red Wood Pigeon
    • Best Film 1994: Caro diario
    • Best Director 1994: Caro diario
    • Best Screenplay 1994: Caro diario
    • Best Film 2001: The Son's Room
    • Best Director 2001: The Son's Room
    • Best Film 2006: Il caimano
    • Best Director 2006: Il caimano
    • Best Screenplay 2006: Il caimano
    • Best Film 2011: We Have a Pope
    • Best Screenplay 2011: We Have a Pope
    • Best Director 2015: Mia madre
    • Honorary Ciak d'oro 2019
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References

Further reading

External links

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