11/11/2002 - Rome has organised a number of special events to honour the 80th birthday of the internationally-renowned filmmaker

Francesco Rosi will celebrate his 80th birthday on 15 November in Rome Town Hall during a public ceremony to honour one of Italy’s most important filmmakers. A number of events have been organised for the man who considers himself “a witness” of Italian reality; starting with a 50-minute filmed portrait of Rosi made by Roberto Andò for the National Film School and ending with the screening of Salvatore Giuliano, one of Rosi’s most famous films.
Many of Rosi’s films enjoyed huge international success, like Le mani sulla città (the winner of a Golden Lion in Venice in 1963) and Il Caso Mattei (Palme d’Or in Cannes in 1972) and the passing of time has done nothing to diminish their appeal. Although his passion has always been cinema, Rosi has done a lot of work in the theatre and his projects for 2003 include directing Napoli milionaria by Eduardo De Filippo at the San Carlo Theatre in Naples where the play was first staged back in 1945.
“Luca De Filippo asked me to do it and I was delighted to accept, although I am fully aware of the extent of the challenge.” Napoli Milionaria was the precursor of neorealism in the theatre, just like Roma Città Aperta in films. The play contains the hope and also the pain of latterday Italy and it exalts values like solidarity and the family, which I believe contemporary society would do well to rediscover. I hope that I will achieve all this.”

(Translated from Italian)