Vittorio De Seta
Encyclopedia
Vittorio De Seta was an Italian
cinema director
and screenwriter
, considered one of the Italian cinema's great imaginative realists of the Sixties.
, Sicily
, to a wealthy family, and studied architecture in Rome
, before deciding to become a director.
De Seta made ten short documentaries between 1954 and 1959, before directing his first feature-length film, Banditi a Orgosolo
(Bandits of Orgosolo).
His early documentaries focus on the everyday life of many of Sicily's poorest workers, and are notable for their lack of voice-over narration, quiet mood, and striking color.
In 2005 the rediscovery of Vittorio De Seta's work was a highlight of Tribeca Film Festival
and Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
, where was presented Détour De Seta
, a documentary
on the Italian director.
Documentary
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
cinema director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, considered one of the Italian cinema's great imaginative realists of the Sixties.
Biography
He was born in PalermoPalermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, to a wealthy family, and studied architecture in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, before deciding to become a director.
De Seta made ten short documentaries between 1954 and 1959, before directing his first feature-length film, Banditi a Orgosolo
Banditi a Orgosolo
Banditi a Orgosolo is a 1960 Italian film drama directed by Vittorio De Seta. The film stars Vittorina Pisano. De Seta won an Award for the film at the Venice Film Festival.-Cast:*Vittorina Pisano ... Mintonia...
(Bandits of Orgosolo).
His early documentaries focus on the everyday life of many of Sicily's poorest workers, and are notable for their lack of voice-over narration, quiet mood, and striking color.
In 2005 the rediscovery of Vittorio De Seta's work was a highlight of Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
and Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is an annual international event dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of non-fiction cinema. Each spring Full Frame welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from around the world to historic downtown Durham, North Carolina for a four-day, morning to midnight...
, where was presented Détour De Seta
Détour De Seta
Détour De Seta is a 2004 documentary film directed by Salvo Cuccia about Vittorio De Seta.- Plot :By tracing the places of Vittorio De Seta films and looking for people who had contact with him, as the Cozzo Disi sulfur miners, Ganzirri swordfish fishermens and shepherds who attended in drama...
, a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
on the Italian director.
Filmography
- Banditi a OrgosoloBanditi a OrgosoloBanditi a Orgosolo is a 1960 Italian film drama directed by Vittorio De Seta. The film stars Vittorina Pisano. De Seta won an Award for the film at the Venice Film Festival.-Cast:*Vittorina Pisano ... Mintonia...
(1961) - Un uomo a metà (1966)
- L'invitata (1969)
- Diario di un maestro (1972, TV)
- In Calabria (1993)
- Lettere dal Sahara (2005)
Documentaries
- Vinni lu tempu de li pisci spata, 11', 1955
- Isole di fuoco, 11', 1955
- Sulfarara, 10', 1955
- Pasqua in Sicilia, 11', 1955
- Contadini del mare, 10', 1955
- Parabola d'oro, 10', 1955
- Pescherecci, 11', 1958
- Pastori di Orgosolo, 11', 1958
- Un giorno in Barbagia, 14', 1958
- I dimenticati, 20', 1959
Awards
- 1957. David di DonatelloDavid di DonatelloDavid di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The...
: Targa d'argento. - 1961. Best First Work in the Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
with Banditi a OrgosoloBanditi a OrgosoloBanditi a Orgosolo is a 1960 Italian film drama directed by Vittorio De Seta. The film stars Vittorina Pisano. De Seta won an Award for the film at the Venice Film Festival.-Cast:*Vittorina Pisano ... Mintonia...
. - 1962. Silver RibbonNastro d'ArgentoThe Nastro d'Argento is a movie award assigned each year, since 1946, for cinematic performances and production by Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani, the association of Italian film critics...
of the Best Cinematography B/W at the Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani (Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists) with Banditi a Orgosolo.
Further reading
Bibliography- Alessandro Rais (curated by). Il cinema di Vittorio De Seta. CataniaCataniaCatania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, Giuseppe Maimone Editore, 1995. ISBN 8877510889 - Il mondo perduto: i cortometraggi di Vittorio De Seta. 1954-1959, book and DVD. Milano, Feltrinelli Editore, 2009. ISBN 9788807740343
Documentary
- Détour De SetaDétour De SetaDétour De Seta is a 2004 documentary film directed by Salvo Cuccia about Vittorio De Seta.- Plot :By tracing the places of Vittorio De Seta films and looking for people who had contact with him, as the Cozzo Disi sulfur miners, Ganzirri swordfish fishermens and shepherds who attended in drama...
. Documentary filmDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
. Dir. Salvo CucciaSalvo CucciaSalvo Cuccia is an Italian cinema director and screenwriter.- Filmography :*1993. Duo with Peter Kowald.*1995. Un sogno di lumaca.*2003. Il Satiro danzante.*2004. Détour De Seta.*2006. Oltre Selinunte....
. Palomar-Endemol, 2004. 57 min.