Federico Fellini
In 1938 Fellini moved to Rome and entered university to study law and to avoid the army. In the end he abandoned university and began working as a crime reporter then a cartoonist; at the same time he began writing and working on comedy sketches with Aldo Fabrizi. At this time he also met his wife, Giuletta Masina whom he described as the greatest influence on his work.
The director Roberto Rossellini wanted to cast Fabrizi in a film and Fellini went along to the meeting. This led on to Fellini becoming a scriptwriter and moved into the world of film. In 1948 Rossellini filmed Il miracolo (The Miracle) which was based on Fellini's story: a peasant woman (Anna Magnani) believes that the tramp who had sex with her (Fellini) is St Jospeph and she is about to give birth to Christ.
Despite (or in spite of) having no formal training, his career in cinema spanned five decades and he garnered much critical acclaim and he won many awards including four Oscars.
His films have been described as mixtures of dream, fantasy and desire and often see life as bizarre and unsettling. Directors such as David Lynch, Almodovar and Terry Gilliam all cite him as an influence on their work. He described his work as intensely autobiographical
Variety acts and circuses feature strongly; an influence of his childhood spent in Rimini where travelling shows and circuses were a common sght.
Federico Fellini died of a heart attack the day after celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary with Giuletta. His coffin was carried past thousands of mourners through Rimini to the cinema where he had watched his first films as a child and which he featured in Amarcord.
Select Filmography
- Luci del varietà (Variety Lights 1950)
- I vitelloni (1953)
- La dolce vita (The Good Life 1960)
- 8½ (1963)
- Giulietta degli spiriti (Juliet of the Spirits 1965)
- Fellini - Satyricon (1969)
- Amarcord (I Remember 1973)
- Il Casanova di Federico Fellini (1976)
- La voce della luna (The Voice of the Moon 1990)
Video
Casanova encouners a dancing automaton in Il Casanova di Federico Fellini (1970)
Awards & Nominations
- 1985 - honorary Golden Lion
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