RIP Vincenzo Cerami

Italian screenwriter Vincenzo Cerami died in Rome on July 17, 2013, at the age of 72. He was famous for having written "Life is Beautiful', the award-winning film by Roberto Benigni for which he was nominated for an Oscar in 1999.

 
Ill for some time, Cerami was also the author of the book "A Little Man," which was made into another famous movie with Alberto Sordi. Since June 2009, he held the position of Councillor for Culture of the City of Spoleto.
 
The last gift he received on June 14 by Roberto Benigni and Nicola Piovani. His old friends had gone to pick up the Special Career David di Donatello that he could not receive, because he was too sick: "Vincent is a great writer and is not look like anyone else," Benigni said. "He’s a very generous person and very sweet, a sweetness that burns in him, and one who puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out a storm. He taught me many things, especially the inspiration of just waiting for the amateurs and others roll up their sleeves and get right to work. He taught me the syntax, how to build a synthesis script and the basis of all the poetic dreams, when you write a movie and the story of a dream and you have to write it in a precise manner. He was very precise, and the accuracy and had a quality that belongs to the great visionaries.
 
Cerami was born in Rome on November 2, 1940 to Sicilian parents. His meeting with Pier Paolo Pasolini, of which he was a student, was instrumental in his formation. With him he made his debut in films in 1965 as assistant director on three films: "Love Meetings", "Hawks and the Sparrows" and the episode "The Witches" from the movie "The Earth Seen from the Moon." Vincenzo was married to Graziella Chiarcossi, cousin of Pier Paolo Pasolini. He leaves two children, actress Aisha, born from the union with his first wife Mimsy Farmer, and Matthew, a young director.
 
Cerami was the screenwriter for five Euro-westerns: “The Dirsty Outlaws” (1966), “The Silent Stranger” (1968), “Hate is My God”, “The Forgotten Pistolero” (both 1969) and “Blindman” (1971).