Remembering Marco Ferreri

Marco Ferreri was born in Milan, Lombardy, Italy on May 11, 1928. He was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, who began his career in the 1950's directing three films in Spain His best known film is “La Grande Bouffe” (1973), starring Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli, Philippe Noiret and Ugo Tognazzi. He was an atheist.

 
His 1979 film “Chiedo asilo” won him the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1991, his film “La casa del sorriso” won the Golden Bear at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. Two years later, his film “Diario di un vizio” was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival. He directed his only Euro-western the modern day “Don’t Touch the White Woman” in 1973.
 
He died in Paris on May 9, 1997 of a myocardial infarction. Upon his death, Gilles Jacob, artistic director of the Cannes International Film Festival, said: "The Italian cinema has lost one of its most original artists, one of its most personal authors/ No one was more demanding nor more allegorical than he in showing the state of crisis of contemporary man."
 
Today we remember Marco Ferreri on what would have been his 85^th birthday.