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Marco PherreriItalian director
Date of Birth: 11.05.1928
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Biography of Marco Ferreri
Marco Ferreri was an Italian director known for his provocative and satirical films. He was born on May 11, 1928, in Milan, Italy. Ferreri initially pursued a career in veterinary medicine but later shifted his focus to the film industry. Before becoming a director, he worked as a salesman of alcoholic beverages and also dabbled in journalism, production, and advertising.
Early Career
In 1950, Ferreri co-founded a film magazine called "Documento Mensile" with writer Cesare Zavattini. The magazine aimed to showcase a mix of news, documentaries, and fictional stories in Italian cinemas but was discontinued after only two issues. During his time in Spain selling film equipment, Ferreri met comedy writer Rafael Azcona, with whom he developed a long-lasting collaboration.
Spanish Films
In the late 1950s, Ferreri made his directorial debut in Spain with the films "El Pisito" (The Little Apartment, 1959), "Los Chicos" (The Kids, 1959), and "El Cochecito" (The Wheelchair, 1960). These films portrayed contemporary Spanish life in a sharp and satirical manner, often infused with elements of black humor.
Italian and French Period
After returning to Italy, Ferreri quickly gained a reputation as an eclectic director with his humanistic themes and anarchic poetic style. His early films explored themes of marriage or the lack thereof with a pessimistic cynicism. His masterpiece, "Dillinger Is Dead" (1969), showcased a high level of alienation and despair. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Ferreri continued to make some of the most original and unsettling films in European art cinema. He combined social and political criticism, black humor, and sexuality in his works. One of his most controversial films, "La Grande Abbuffata" (The Big Feast, 1973), served as a dark allegory about a world consumed by its insatiable desires and self-destruction.
Later Career and Legacy
In the 1980s, Ferreri's films were not as acclaimed as his earlier works. However, he managed to regain attention with his drama film "The House of Smiles" (1990), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. His final films were "Diary of a Maniac" (1993) and "Nitrato d'Argento" (Silver Nitrate, 1996). Sadly, Marco Ferreri passed away on May 9, 1997, in Paris, France, due to a heart attack. He left behind a legacy of thought-provoking and controversial films that continue to captivate audiences to this day.
