She’s dead Lina Wertmüller, the director was 93 years old and went out in the night in Rome. The absolute protagonist of Italian cinema was the first woman in history to be nominated for an Oscar as best director, for the film Pasqualino Settebellezze, in the 1977 ceremony. In 2020 she was awarded the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Lina Wertmüller was born in Rome on August 14, 1928, of aristocratic and Swiss origin, married to the set designer Enrico Job. The news of the death was given by a family friend on social media.
The funeral home for Lina Wertmuller will be set up in the Capitol. The news was given by the mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri who in a tweet remembers her as “a great director who has made films full of irony and intelligence, the first woman nominated for an Oscar for best director”.
With # LinaWertmüller a legend of the #cinema Italian, a great director who has made films full of irony and intelligence, the first woman nominated for an Oscar for best director. #Roma he will give her his final farewell setting up the funeral parlor in the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/Vs3hu4Ye6B
– Roberto Gualtieri (@gualtierieurope) December 9, 2021
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In 2020 the Oscar awarded by Sofia Loren
In 2020 it was Sofia Loren in Los Angeles to deliver the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement to her great friend director. In 1991 Lina Wertmüller directed her in “Made of Blood … and Stuffed Peppers and Fish in the Face”. Before giving her the stuatuetta, the actress had dedicated a vibrant speech to her, full of admiration: “You are one of the greatest directors of all time.”
Lina Wertmüller, career
A life full of encounters and friendships, that of Lina Wertmuller, who died today in Rome at the age of 93 and the first female director to be nominated for an Oscar in 1977 for ‘Pasqualino Settebellezze’, even if the prestigious statuette will arrive in 2020 as Lifetime Achievement Award. Friendships and encounters in Wertmuller’s life will prove indispensable and fundamental to her career. At school he meets Flora Carabella who, a few years later will become the wife of Marcello Mastroianni (with him and Sophia Loren she will shoot in 1978 ‘Made of blood between two men because of a widow. Political motives are suspected, a film that boasts the guiness of records as the longest title in the history of cinema), among its iconic actors alongside Giancarlo Giannini.
While still a teenager, the young Lina attended the world of cinema and theater, enrolled in the Theater Academy directed by Pietro Sharoff, animates a puppet theater, initially collaborated with Guido Salvini, Giorgio De Lullo, Garinei and Giovannini, worked in radio and television, he signed the first Canzonissima and the ‘Giornalino by Gian Burrascà with Rita Pavone protagonist in men’s clothes. His first appearance on the big screen was in 1953 in the role of secretariat of the edition with ‘… e Napoli sings!’ by Armando Grottini, followed by ‘La dolce vità Fellini as assistant director. The real debut is in 1963 with ‘I basilischì, shot between Basilicata and Puglia, Silver Sail at the Locarno Festival, while in ’68 under a’ nom de plumè (Nathan Witch) he directs an Italian western ‘. my body for a poker ‘with a charming Elsa Martinelli.
The Interview – Giancarlo Giannini: «The Wertmuller Oscar is an act of justice. A woman who is worth 10 men on the set “
In the second half of the 60s, the meeting with Giancarlo Giannini. A perfect artistic marriage, an unrepeatable partnership herald of triumphs, anywhere in the world (‘Mimi metallurgico woundito nell’onorè,’ Film of love and anarchy, ‘Overwhelmed by an unusual destiny in the blue sea of August,’ Pasqualino Settebellezzè , ‘The end of the world in our usual bed on a rainy night). To his credit over 30 films also as a screenwriter alongside Sergio Sollima (‘City of violence), Pasquale Festa Campanile (‘ When women had the queue, ‘When women lost their queues), Franco Zeffirelli (‘ Brother Sun, sister Lunà) , Enrico Maria Salerno (‘Nobody must know’) and series, shorts and TV films, including ‘Il decimo clandestinò,’ Francesca and Nunziatà, ‘Rome, Naples, Venice … in a Rossinianò crescendo. In its long booklet also Radio, prose and variety, (‘Prova generalè,’ Un Olimpo poco tranquillò, ‘La dolce vitaccià) The cinema is transformed into a stage where one can denounce and courageously face political issues, such as that of terrorism (‘ Joke of fate lurking around the corner like a brigand from stradà), but also to ‘paint historical frescoes (‘ Fernando and Carolinà). Meanwhile Lina Wertmuller rediscovers another great passion, opera. Rare raids, but don’t go unnoticed. ‘Carmen’ at the San Carlo in Naples for the inauguration of the 1986-87 season, ‘Bohèmè at the Athens Opera in 1997 alongside several screenplays and theatrical direction that bear his signature.
