MAMMA ROMA

A director, writer, poet, and actor, he was a key figure in literature and cinema. In 1957, he collaborated with Sergio Citti to write the Roman-dialect dialogue for Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria. He began writing full-time for film and later moved on to directing. His major film awards include: Best Screenplay at Cannes for Bolognini’s Young Husbands; Best Film at Karlovy Vary for Accattone; Special Jury Prize for The Gospel According to St. Matthew at Venice; the Silver Bear for The Decameron at the Berlinale and the Golden Bear for The Canterbury Tales; Grand Jury Prize at Cannes for Flower of the Arabian Nights; and the FIPRESCI Prize at Locarno for Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. He was murdered in 1975.