JULY 21

Biography

Born in Istanbul in 1959, Ferzan Özpetek moved to Rome in 1976 to study history of cinema at “La Sapienza” University. His first film, "Il bagno turco - Hamam" of 1997, immediately registers a great success among critics and audience, so much as to be selected for the Quinzaine des Réalizateurs in Cannes. Two years later, he achieved another success with "Harem Suaré". The film tells the story of love between the sultan’s favorite and her eunuch, set during the fall of the Turkish empire. The feature film was at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999, in the Un Certain Regard section. "Le fate ignoranti", another great success of the director, is the sentimental comedy that became the most important film of the 2001 film season, attracting the attention of the international scene. To confirm this, he obtained 4 Nastri d'Argento and 3 Globi D'Oro. In 2003, he amazed his audience again with "La finestra di fronte", which earns prizes and awards: 5 David di Donatello, 3 Nastri d'Argento, 4 Ciak d'Oro, 3 Globi d'Oro, as well as 3 awards at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and 2 awards at the Seattle Film Festival.

"Cuore sacro", 2005, opened a lively and controversial debate among the public and was awarded with 2 David di Donatello and the Golden Globe for Best Director, while in the following year, 2006, "Saturno contro" was released in theaters earning a series of awards: 1 David di Donatello, 4 Nastri d'Argento, 5 Globi D'Oro e 4 Ciak d'Oro. Two years after the success of "Saturno contro", at the 65th Venice International Film Festival, "Un giorno perfetto" is presented in competition, based on the novel of the same name by Melania Mazzucco. In the same year, 2008, the Museum Of Modern Art in New York dedicated a retrospective to him. "Mine vaganti", 2010, obtained a great success with the public and critics, not only in Italy. Also for this umpteenth work of Özpetek, awards are numerous: 2 David di Donatello, 5 Nastri d'Argento, 4 Globi D'Oro, 4 Ciak D'Oro and the special jury award at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. 2012 was the year of "Magnifica presenza", which won 2 Nastri d'Argento, the Greatest Audience Award at the Moscow International Film Festival and 4 Globi D'Oro.

The subsequent "Allacciate le cinture", of 2014, starring Kasia Smutniak, won 3 Nastri d'Argento, a Globo D'Oro and a Ciak d'Oro. The new artistic challenge for Özpetek dated 2011, when he was called to direct his first opera at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Giuseppe Verdi's "Aida" ensures a thrilling success and approval. Repeated the following year at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples with "La Traviata". Not only cinema and theater: in 2013, he published his first novel, "Rosso Istanbul", a real declaration of love for his hometown, his origins and his mother. Four years later, in 2017, he made it into the same-name film, shot entirely in the Turkish city. In 2015, he published his second novel, "Sei la mia vita", a poignant love story in which even real backstage emerges from the sets of his films. His latest work is the film "Napoli velata", starring Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Alessandro Boschi, a great box office and critical success, awarded with 2 David di Donatello for best cinematography and best production design.

PHOTO CREDITS: Gerald Bruneau