Giuliano Montaldo Film director Date of Birth: 22.02.1930 Country: Italy

Biography of Giuliano Montaldo

Italian director, actor, and screenwriter Giuliano Montaldo was born in Genoa in 1930. He made his acting debut on the stage of the Genoese theater, 'Tetro di Massa'. In 1951, he became one of the organizers of the emerging film cooperatives. That same year, he played his first role in a movie. The war drama 'Achtung! Banditi!', directed by Carlo Lizzani and featuring the magnificent Gina Lollobrigida, told the story of a partisan group's mission during World War II.

In the 1950s, Montaldo appeared in films such as 'Cronache di poveri amanti' by Lizzani, with Marcello Mastroianni in the lead role, 'Gli sbandati' by director Francesco Maselli, and several others. While working on film sets, Giuliano observed the process of filmmaking and began to develop his own ideas and vision for his future films. However, he had to wait for his opportunity.

In 1957, Montaldo started working as an assistant director for Gillo Pontecorvo on the set of the romantic drama 'The Great Blue Road'. Subsequently, he assisted in the filming of 'Kapò', a historical war film. He also worked as an assistant for Carlo Lizzani, who recognized Montaldo's talent as an actor.

After several years, Montaldo believed in himself enough to take the risk of becoming a director. In 1961, he made his directorial debut with the film 'Tiro al piccione' (Shoot the Pigeon). He also wrote the screenplay for the film, which was selected for the competition program at the Venice Film Festival, bringing great joy to Montaldo. This first success in 1961 marked a significant milestone in his career.

In the following years, Montaldo directed several more films, but it was not until 1965 with 'Una Bella grinta' (A Beautiful Grit) that he achieved commercial success. The film was a socio-psychological drama about the consequences of the Italian economic miracle. By the end of the 1960s, Montaldo had directed at least seven films, establishing himself as a director with a unique perspective. It was during this time that he participated in the Moscow International Film Festival and met Andrei Tarkovsky, whom Montaldo considered to be the greatest director. Intrigued by Tarkovsky's work, Montaldo arranged a private screening of Tarkovsky's banned film 'Andrei Rublev' for himself and representatives of Soviet cinema.

In 1970, Montaldo released the historical drama 'Sacco e Vanzetti' (Sacco and Vanzetti), followed by 'Giordano Bruno' in 1973 and 'An Eye for an Eye' in 1976. He later directed films for television, such as 'Circuito chiuso' (Closed Circuit, 1978), and 'Marco Polo' (1982).

Throughout his career, Montaldo collaborated on the screenplays of many of his films and assembled an international team of actors, including Burt Lancaster, Rupert Everett, Nicholas Cage, Philippe Noiret, Janet Leigh, John Cassavetes, Charlotte Rampling, Ingrid Thulin, and John Gielgud, among others.

Montaldo also directed commercials, documentaries, and experimental film projects. He has received numerous international awards and honors for his contributions to world cinema. Montaldo was a prize winner at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1965 and received an Emmy Award in 1982 for his series on Marco Polo.

From 2000 to 2003, Giuliano Montaldo served as the president of 'Rai Cinema'. He has visited Russia several times and often speaks about his love for the country and the long-standing connection between the cinemas of both Italy and Russia.

A few years ago, the Italian director came to St. Petersburg to film a movie about Fyodor Dostoevsky. In 2008, the drama 'I demoni di San Pietroburgo' (The Demons of St. Petersburg) was released in Italy. The film is often shown in schools, as Montaldo hopes that young people who watch it will be inspired to read Dostoevsky's works. Montaldo considers Fyodor Dostoevsky to be a character he has always loved and believes that his biography is a brilliant novel in its own right, just as captivating as 'The Brothers Karamazov' or 'The Possessed'.