GIFFONI50PLUS - 21.31 JULY 2021

FERZAN ÖZPETEK

JULY 24

Biography

Ferzan Ozpetek (Istanbul, 1959) moved to Rome to study film history at the University of Rome "La Sapienza". He made his directorial debut with Il Bagno Turco - Hamam (1997), selected for the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes. His subsequent films - Le Fate Ignoranti (2001), La Finestra di Fronte (2003) and Mine Vaganti (2010), among others, won prestigious awards such as David di Donatello, Nastri d'Argento, Ciak and Globi d'oro.

In 2008, the MOMA in New York dedicated a prestigious solo exhibition to him. In 2011 he directed his first opera, Giuseppe Verdi's Aida, a resounding success that was repeated the following year at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples with La Traviata and, in 2019, with Madama Butterfly. In 2017, Napoli Velata was released in cinemas and two years later La Dea Fortuna (David Awards and Nastro d'Argento to Jasmine Trinca for Best Actress in a Leading Role). In May 2019 he was at the Venice Art Biennale with the video installation Venetika and in January 2020 he directed the theatrical adaptation of his eponymous film Mine vaganti.

His first novel, Rosso Istanbul for Mondadori, from which, four years later, he made the film with the same name, was published in 2013. In 2015 he wrote his second novel for Mondadori, Sei la mia vita, and last May his third novel Come un respiro, which immediately entered the top of the sales charts, placing it among the bestselling Italian novels of recent years.  At the Venice Film Festival, during Venice Days, he received the SIAE 2020 Award.  In October, he was awarded the FICE Prize for La Dea Fortuna as "an author who can boast the uncommon ability to combine a constant quality of writing, staging, direction of the actors and an undisputed success among the audience". La Dea Fortuna also received three Ciak d'oro for Best Film, Best Actors Stefano Accorsi and Edoardo Leo, and Best Song for Diodato. The filmmaker was the creator, supported by the SIAE, of the "Hiornata dei Camici Bianci", which became a state law to celebrate the immense commitment of all health personnel in the fight against Covid 19 every February the 20th.

  • Filmography:

    Il bagno turco - Hamam - 1997

    Harem suaré - 1999

    Le fate ignoranti - 2001

    La finestra di fronte - 2003

    Cuore sacro - 2005

    Saturno contro - 2006

    Un giorno perfetto - 2008

    Mine vaganti - 2010

    Magnifica presenza - 2012

    Allacciate le cinture - 2014

    Rosso Istanbul - 2017

    Napoli Velata – 2017

    La Dea Fortuna - 2019