Marco Bellocchio

Italian film director, screenwriter and actor

Marco Bellocchio

Bellocchio in 2010

Born|  (1939-11-09) 9 November 1939 (age 84)

Bobbio, Italy

Occupation(s)| Film director, screenwriter, actor
Years active| 1962–present

Marco Bellocchio (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmarko belˈlɔkkjo]; born 9 November 1939) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor.

## Life and career

[edit]

Born in Bobbio, near Piacenza, Marco Bellocchio had a strict Catholic upbringing – his father was a lawyer, his mother a schoolteacher.[1] He began studying philosophy in Milan but then decided to enter film school, first at the Dramatic Art Academy of Milan, then the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome,[2] and later at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. His first film, Fists in the Pocket (I pugni in tasca, winner of the Silver Sail at the 1965 Festival del film Locarno), was funded by family members and shot on family property in 1965.

### Films

[edit]

Bellocchio's films include China Is Near (1967), Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina (Slap the Monster on Page One) (1972), Nel Nome del Padre (In the name of the Father – a satire on a Catholic boarding school that shares affinities with Lindsay Anderson's If....) (1972), Victory March (1976), A Leap in the Dark (1980), Henry IV (1984), Devil in the Flesh (1986), and My Mother's Smile (2002), which told the story of a wealthy Italian artist, a 'default-Marxist and atheist', who suddenly discovers that the Vatican is proposing to make his detested mother a saint.

In 1991 he won the Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival for his film The Conviction.[3]

In 1995 he directed a documentary about the Red Brigades and the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro, titled Broken Dreams. In 2003, he directed a feature film on the same theme, Good Morning, Night. In 2006 his film The Wedding Director was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.[4] In 1999, he was awarded with an Honorable Prize for the contribution to cinema at the 21st Moscow International Film Festival.[5]

In 2009 he directed Vincere, which was in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival. He finished Sorelle Mai, an experimental film that was shot over ten years with the students of six separate workshops playing themselves. He was awarded with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in September 2011.[6]

His 2012 film Dormant Beauty was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice International Film Festival.[7] On 6 September 2012, Bellocchio condemned the Catholic Church's interference in politics after the premiere of his controversial film about a high-profile euthanasia case. The film approaches the topic of euthanasia and the difficulty with legislation on end of life in Italy, which has Vatican City within its borders. The subject is inspired by Eluana Englaro's case. Following the decision of the jury of the Venice Film Festival, which excluded the film from the Golden Lion, Bellocchio has expressed strong criticism against President Michael Mann.[8]

### Political activity

[edit]

Bellocchio made a big impact on radical Italian cinema in the mid-1960s, and was a friend of Pasolini. In 1968, he joined the Union of Italian Communists (Marxist-Leninist), a Maoist group, and began to make politically militant cinema. However, in a 2002 interview, he talked about divided state of the Italian left, politics' lacking from the aim of radical change, and how such a radical change not being appealing for him anymore:[9]

> "I can talk about my personal ideas but Marxism has little to do with it now. Today politics means administration, either a good or a bad administration, and nobody is talking any more in terms of changing things. The left in Italy is now very divided, as if it doesn't have the strength to form an opposition. No party is now proposing a radical change of anything, and radical change is no longer very interesting to me as an artist."

In another interview conducted in London Film Festival of 2006, he insisted still being a leftist, but argued for a need to reinvent the term:[10]

> In Italy politics is pretty mediocre and depressing. It is not the same situation as in the 60s when you had the idea to change the society through politics that doesn't exist anymore. It is not necessarily to make Italy into socialist republic but in any case to change a few things radically. Because in Italy like the rest of Europe politics now is more based on running a public administration and so there is not a big difference between left and right. [...] I am still on the left but socialism and the left should be reinvented. It is difficult. Basically old values are invalid anymore and we have to find new ones."

He was candidate for Italian Parliament in 2006, with Rose in the Fist list, a political cartel made by socialists and Italian Radicals (a liberal, social liberal and libertarian party).

He is an atheist.[11]

## Personal life

[edit]

He is the third son in his family along with his twin brother Camillo, who committed suicide in 1969 leaving an lasting impact on Bellocchio's life. He has three children including a son Pier Giorgio Bellocchio with actress Gisella Burinato and a daughter Elena with his current partner Francesca Calvelli who is also the editor for his films.

## Filmography

[edit]

### Director

[edit]

* La colpa e la pena (1961)
* Fists in the Pocket (1965)
* China Is Near (1967)
* Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina (1972)
* Victory March (1976)
* Il gabbiano (1977)
* A Leap in the Dark (1980)
* The Eyes, the Mouth (1982)
* Henry IV (1984)
* Devil in the Flesh (1986)
* The Witches' Sabbath (1988)
* The Conviction (1991)
* The Butterfly's Dream (1994)
* The Prince of Homburg (1996)
* The Nanny (1999)
* My Mother's Smile (2002)
* Good Morning, Night (2003)
* The Wedding Director (2006)
* Vincere (2009)
* Dormant Beauty (2012)
* Blood of My Blood (2015)
* Sweet Dreams (2017)
* The Traitor (2019)
* Marx Can Wait (2021)
* Exterior Night (2022)
* Kidnapped (2023)

### Writer

[edit]

* Abbasso il zio (1961)
* La colpa e la pena (1961)
* Il ginepro fatto uomo (1962)
* Fists in the Pocket (1965)
* China is Near (1967)
* Il popolo calabrese ha rialzato la testa (1969) – co-direction
* Viva il 1º maggio rosso proletario (1969) – co-direction
* Discutiamo, discutiamo, episode of Love and Anger (1969) – co-direction
* Nel nome del padre (1972)
* Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina (1972)
* Matti da slegare (1975), co-directed with Silvano Agosti, Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli
* Victory March (1976)
* Il gabbiano (1977)
* La macchina cinema (1979), co-directed with Silvano Agosti, Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli
* A Leap in the Dark (1980)
* Vacanze in Val Trebbia (1980)
* The Eyes, the Mouth (1982)
* Henry IV (1984)
* Devil in the Flesh (1986)
* The Witches' Sabbath (1988)
* The Conviction (1991)
* The Butterfly's Dream (1994)
* Sogni infranti (1995) – TV documentary
* The Prince of Homburg (1996)
* La religione della storia (1998) – TV documentary
* The Nanny (1999)
* L'affresco (2000)
* Elena (2002)
* Appunti per un film su Zio Vanja (2002)
* Addio del passato (2002)
* My Mother's Smile (2002)
* Good Morning, Night (2003)
* The Wedding Director (2006)
* Sorelle (2006)
* Vincere (2009)
* Sorelle Mai (2010)
* Dormant Beauty (2012)
* Blood of My Blood (2015)
* Sweet Dreams (2016)
* The Traitor (2019)
* Marx can wait (2021)
* Esterno Notte (2022)
* Kidnapped (2023)

### Actor

[edit]

* Francesco di Assisi (1966) – Pietro
* Love and Anger (1969) - Lecturer (segment "Discutiamo discutiamo")
* N.P. (1971) - Preacher (voice)
* Pianeta Venere (1972)
* The Canterbury Tales (1972) - voice of the greedy friar in the Summoner's Tale
* Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina (1972) - Giornalista Conferenza (uncredited)
* Tutto in comune (1974)
* Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) - The President (voice, uncredited)
* Il gabbiano (1977) - Servant (uncredited)
* Vacanze in Val Trebbia (1980) - Il marito
* L'ora di religione (Il sorriso di mia madre) (2002)

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Awards and nominations received by Marco Bellocchio  Award  | Year  | Work  | Category  | Result

|
|
|
|

Cannes Film Festival[12] | 2021  |  | Honorary Palme d'Or | Won
Berlin International Film Festival[13] | 1991  | The Conviction | Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize | Won
Venice Film Festival[14] | 2011  |  | Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement | Won
David di Donatello[15] | 1980  | A Leap in the Dark | Best Director | Won
2003  | My Mother's Smile | Nominated
2004  | Good Morning, Night | Nominated
2007  | The Wedding Director | Nominated
2010  | Vincere | Won
2011  | Sorelle Mai | Nominated
2017  | Sweet Dreams | Nominated
2020  | The Traitor | Won
2023  | Exterior Night | Won
2003  | My Mother's Smile | Best Screenplay | Nominated
2004  | Good Morning, Night | Nominated
2010  | Vincere | Nominated
2017  | Sweet Dreams | Nominated
2020  | The Traitor | Won
2023  | Exterior Night | Nominated
2014  |  | Lifetime Achievement Award  | Won
Nastro d'Argento[16]
1966  | Fists in the Pocket | Best Director  | Nominated
2003  | My Mother's Smile | Won
2004  | Good Morning, Night | Nominated
2007  | The Wedding Director | Nominated
2009  | Vincere | Nominated
2011  | Sorelle mai | Nominated
2013  | Dormant Beauty | Nominated
2017  | Sweet Dreams | Nominated
2019  | The Traitor | Won
2023  | Kidnapped | Won
1966  | Fists in the Pocket | Best Story  | Won
1968  | China Is Near | Won
1976  | Victory March | Nominated
2002  | My Mother's Smile | Won
2007  | The Wedding Director | Won
1966  | Fists in the Pocket | Best Screenplay | Nominated
1968  | China Is Near | Nominated
1998  | The Prince of Homburg | Nominated
2002  | My Mother's Smile | Nominated
2004  | Good Morning, Night | Nominated
2013  | Dormant Beauty | Nominated
2019  | The Traitor | Won
2023  | Kidnapped | Won

## References

[edit]

1. ^ The Independent Review, p. 14, 15 November 2002
2. ^ "Marco Bellocchio". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
3. ^ "Berlinale: 1991 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
4. ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Wedding Director". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 15 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
5. ^ "21st Moscow International Film Festival (1999)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 22 March 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
6. ^ "Cannes Film Festival to honour jailed Iranian directors". BBC News. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
7. ^ "Venezia 69". labiennale. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
8. ^ "Anger Bellocchio on Venice jury".
9. ^ Clarke, Roger (15 November 2002). "Marco Bellocchio: Mother love?". The Independent. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
10. ^ Jahed, Parviz (5 July 2022). "Socialism and the Left Should Be Reinvented, Interview with Marco Bellocchio". Universal Cinema. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
11. ^ "Interview to Studiocinema". Archived from the original on 26 March 2012.
12. ^ "Palma d'Oro d'Onore a Marco Bellocchio" (in Italian).
13. ^ "Marco Bellocchio" (in Italian).
14. ^ "Leone d'oro alla carriera a Marco Bellocchio" (in Italian).
15. ^ "Personaggi - Marco Bellocchio" (in Italian).
16. ^ "Personaggi - Marco Bellocchio" (in Italian).

## External links

[edit]

* Marco Bellocchio at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Marco Bellocchio

* La colpa e la pena (1961)
* Fists in the Pocket (1965)
* China Is Near (1967)
* Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina (1972)
* Victory March (1976)
* Il gabbiano (1977)
* A Leap in the Dark (1980)
* The Eyes, the Mouth (1982)
* Henry IV (1984)
* Devil in the Flesh (1986)
* The Witches' Sabbath (1988)
* The Conviction (1991)
* The Butterfly's Dream (1994)
* The Prince of Homburg (1996)
* The Nanny (1999)
* My Mother's Smile (2002)
* Good Morning, Night (2003)
* The Wedding Director (2006)
* Vincere (2009)
* Dormant Beauty (2012)
* Blood of My Blood (2015)
* Sweet Dreams (2017)
* The Traitor (2019)
* Marx Can Wait (2021)
* Exterior Night (2022)
* Kidnapped (2023)

* v
* t
* e

David di Donatello Award for Best Director

1956–1975|

* Gianni Franciolini (1956)
* Federico Fellini (1957)
* Alberto Lattuada (1959)
* Federico Fellini (1960)
* Michelangelo Antonioni (1961)
* Ermanno Olmi (1962)
* Vittorio De Sica (1963)
* Pietro Germi (1964)
* Vittorio De Sica / Francesco Rosi (1965)
* Alessandro Blasetti / Pietro Germi (1966)
* Luigi Comencini (1967)
* Carlo Lizzani (1968)
* Franco Zeffirelli (1969)
* Gillo Pontecorvo (1970)
* Luchino Visconti (1971)
* Sergio Leone / Franco Zeffirelli (1972)
* Luchino Visconti (1973)
* Federico Fellini (1974)
* Dino Risi (1975)

1976–2000|

* Mario Monicelli / Francesco Rosi (1976)
* Mario Monicelli / Valerio Zurlini (1977)
* Ettore Scola (1978)
* Francesco Rosi (1979)
* Marco Bellocchio / Gillo Pontecorvo (1980)
* Francesco Rosi (1981)
* Marco Ferreri (1982)
* Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (1983)
* Ettore Scola (1984)
* Francesco Rosi (1985)
* Mario Monicelli (1986)
* Ettore Scola (1987)
* Bernardo Bertolucci (1988)
* Ermanno Olmi (1989)
* Mario Monicelli (1990)
* Marco Risi / Ricky Tognazzi (1991)
* Gianni Amelio (1992)
* Roberto Faenza / Ricky Tognazzi (1993)
* Carlo Verdone (1994)
* Mario Martone (1995)
* Giuseppe Tornatore (1996)
* Francesco Rosi (1997)
* Roberto Benigni (1998)
* Giuseppe Tornatore (1999)
* Silvio Soldini (2000)

2001–present|

* Gabriele Muccino (2001)
* Ermanno Olmi (2002)
* Pupi Avati (2003)
* Marco Tullio Giordana (2004)
* Paolo Sorrentino (2005)
* Nanni Moretti (2006)
* Giuseppe Tornatore (2007)
* Andrea Molaioli (2008)
* Matteo Garrone (2009)
* Marco Bellocchio (2010)
* Daniele Luchetti (2011)
* Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (2012)
* Giuseppe Tornatore (2013)
* Paolo Sorrentino (2014)
* Francesco Munzi (2015)
* Matteo Garrone (2016)
* Paolo Virzì (2017)
* Jonas Carpignano (2018)
* Matteo Garrone (2019)
* Marco Bellocchio (2020)
* Giorgio Diritti (2021)
* Paolo Sorrentino (2022)
* Marco Bellocchio (2023)
* Matteo Garrone (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement

1969–2000|

* Luis Buñuel (1969)
* Orson Welles (1970)
* John Ford / Marcel Carné / Ingmar Bergman (1971)
* Charlie Chaplin / Anatoli Golovnya / Billy Wilder (1972)
* Alessandro Blasetti / Luis Buñuel / Frank Capra / George Cukor / Jean-Luc Godard / Alexander Kluge / Akira Kurosawa / Michael Powell / Satyajit Ray / King Vidor / Sergei Yutkevich / Cesare Zavattini (1982)
* Michelangelo Antonioni (1983)
* Federico Fellini (1985)
* Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (1986)
* Luigi Comencini / Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1987)
* Joris Ivens (1988)
* Robert Bresson (1989)
* Miklós Jancsó / Marcello Mastroianni (1990)
* Mario Monicelli / Gian Maria Volonté (1991)
* Francis Ford Coppola / Jeanne Moreau / Paolo Villaggio (1992)
* Claudia Cardinale / Robert De Niro / Roman Polanski / Steven Spielberg (1993)
* Suso Cecchi d'Amico / Ken Loach / Al Pacino (1994)
* Woody Allen / Giuseppe De Santis / Goffredo Lombardo / Ennio Morricone / Alain Resnais / Martin Scorsese / Alberto Sordi / Monica Vitti (1995)
* Robert Altman / Vittorio Gassman / Dustin Hoffman / Michèle Morgan (1996)
* Gérard Depardieu / Stanley Kubrick / Alida Valli (1997)
* Warren Beatty / Sophia Loren / Andrzej Wajda (1998)
* Jerry Lewis (1999)
* Clint Eastwood (2000)

2001–present|

* Éric Rohmer (2001)
* Dino Risi (2002)
* Dino De Laurentiis / Omar Sharif (2003)
* Manoel de Oliveira / Stanley Donen (2004)
* Hayao Miyazaki / Stefania Sandrelli (2005)
* David Lynch (2006)
* Tim Burton (2007)
* Ermanno Olmi (2008)
* John Lasseter (2009)
* John Woo (2010)
* Marco Bellocchio (2011)
* Francesco Rosi (2012)
* William Friedkin (2013)
* Thelma Schoonmaker / Frederick Wiseman (2014)
* Bertrand Tavernier (2015)
* Jean-Paul Belmondo / Jerzy Skolimowski (2016)
* Jane Fonda / Robert Redford (2017)
* David Cronenberg / Vanessa Redgrave (2018)
* Pedro Almodóvar / Julie Andrews (2019)
* Ann Hui / Tilda Swinton (2020)
* Roberto Benigni / Jamie Lee Curtis (2021)
* Catherine Deneuve / Paul Schrader (2022)
* Liliana Cavani / Tony Leung Chiu-wai (2023)
* Sigourney Weaver / Peter Weir (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Nastro d'Argento Award for Best Director

* Alessandro Blasetti / Vittorio De Sica (1946)
* Roberto Rossellini (1947)
* Alberto Lattuada / Giuseppe De Santis (1948)
* Vittorio De Sica (1949)
* Augusto Genina (1950)
* Alessandro Blasetti (1951)
* Renato Castellani (1952)
* Luigi Zampa (1953)
* Federico Fellini (1954)
* Federico Fellini (1955)
* Michelangelo Antonioni (1956)
* Pietro Germi (1957)
* Federico Fellini (1958)
* Pietro Germi (1959)
* Roberto Rossellini (1960)
* Luchino Visconti (1961)
* Michelangelo Antonioni (1962)
* Nanni Loy / Francesco Rosi (1963)
* Federico Fellini (1964)
* Pier Paolo Pasolini (1965)
* Antonio Pietrangeli (1966)
* Gillo Pontecorvo (1967)
* Elio Petri (1968)
* Franco Zeffirelli (1969)
* Luchino Visconti (1970)
* Elio Petri (1971)
* Luchino Visconti (1972)
* Bernardo Bertolucci (1973)
* Federico Fellini (1974)
* Luchino Visconti (1975)
* Michelangelo Antonioni (1976)
* Valerio Zurlini (1977)
* Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (1978)
* Ermanno Olmi (1979)
* Federico Fellini (1980)
* Francesco Rosi (1981)
* Marco Ferreri (1982)
* Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (1983)
* Pupi Avati / Federico Fellini (1984)
* Sergio Leone (1985)
* Mario Monicelli (1986)
* Ettore Scola (1987)
* Bernardo Bertolucci (1988)
* Ermanno Olmi (1989)
* Pupi Avati (1990)
* Gianni Amelio (1991)
* Gabriele Salvatores (1992)
* Gianni Amelio (1993)
* Nanni Moretti (1994)
* Gianni Amelio (1995)
* Giuseppe Tornatore (1996)
* Maurizio Nichetti (1997)
* Roberto Benigni (1998)
* Giuseppe Tornatore (1999)
* Silvio Soldini (2000)
* Nanni Moretti (2001)
* Marco Bellocchio (2002)
* Gabriele Salvatores (2003)
* Marco Tullio Giordana (2004)
* Gianni Amelio (2005)
* Michele Placido (2006)
* Giuseppe Tornatore (2007)
* Paolo Virzì (2008)
* Paolo Sorrentino (2009)
* Paolo Virzì (2010)
* Nanni Moretti (2011)
* Paolo Sorrentino (2012)
* Giuseppe Tornatore (2013)
* Paolo Virzì (2014)
* Paolo Sorrentino (2015)
* Paolo Virzì (2016)
* Gianni Amelio (2017)
* Matteo Garrone (2018)
* Marco Bellocchio (2019)
* Matteo Garrone (2020)
* Emma Dante (2021)
* Mario Martone (2022)

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