Born in the province of Piacenza, Italy, in 1939. He had a catholic education during his teenage years, and in the late 1950s he joined the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. His first feature film, Fists in the Pockets (1965), was very well-received by critics. He also directed China is Near (1967), Leap into the Void (1980), The Eyes, the Mouth (1982), Devil in the Flesh (1986), The Conviction (1991), Good Morning, Night (2003), Vincere (2009, 33rd Mostra), Sorelle Mai (2010, 35th Mostra) and Dormant Beauty (2012, Critics’ Prize at the 36th Mostra). At the 40th Mostra, in 2016, he presented some of the most significant films of his career, signed the art design of the poster, and received the Leon Cakoff Prize. After that, he directed Blood of My Blood (2015), Sweet Dreams (2016) and The Traitor (2019).
