Ferzan Özpetek
Encyclopedia
Ferzan Özpetek is an Italian-Turkish film director and screenwriter, residing in Italy.
in 1959. When he was a young student in 1976, he decided to move to Italy to study Cinema History at Sapienza University of Rome. He completed his education attending art history and costume design classes at the Navona Academy. He also attended director classes at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art.
After receiving stage experience with Julian Beck
’s Living Theatre, he moved to the cinema landscape, by working as a director assistant to Massimo Troisi
, Maurizio Ponzi
, Ricky Tognazzi
, Sergio Citti
and Francesco Nuti
. His first work has been as Troisi’s assistant director for Scusate il ritardo, followed by Ponzi’s Sono contento, where he has a small role performing as a “madonnaro”.
His directorial debut was with Hamam
, an Italian, Spanish and Turkish co-production. The movie, released in May 1997, was presented at the 50th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
in the Quinzaine des Realisateurs session. The movie was presented in other international festivals and was sold for distribution in more than 20 countries around the world.
In 1999, he directed Harem Suare
, set in his native land of Turkey, telling the tormented love story between the sultan’s favourite, Safiye, and the eunuch Nadir, with the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the background. The story was written by Özpetek himself in collaboration with Gianni Romoli, who also produced the movie with Tilde Corsi and their R&C Production company. The film was presented in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival
, as well as at the London Film Festival
and at the Toronto International Film Festival
.
In 2001, Özpetek directed His Secret Life (Le Fate Ignoranti), starring Margherita Buy
and Stefano Accorsi
, a sweet and easy to watch drama about homosexuality
and bonding and friendship of several kinds of outsiders. The movie won numerous awards including three Globi d’oro and four Nastro d'Argento
awards.
Facing Windows
(La finestra di fronte) (2003) was his next film. It starred Giovanna Mezzogiorno
, Roul Bova, Filippo Nigro and Massimo Girotti
, in what turned out to be his last performance on film. The film won multiple awards including: five David di Donatello
, four Ciak d’Oro and three Globi d’Oro awards. The film's success in Italy and the rest of Europe, led it to be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
in North America
.
Once again pairing up with producers Gianni Romoli and Tilde Corsi, in 2005, Özpetek directed Cuore sacro
, which received 12 nominations at the David di Donatello
awards, where Barbora Bobulova
won the Best Actress award. The film also won the award for production design.
His next film, Saturno contro
, was released in 2007. It featured a very rich cast: Pierfrancesco Favino
, Luca Argentero, Isabella Ferrari
and Ambra Angiolini
, and also Margherita Buy
and Stefano Accorsi
with whom he worked with earlier, in Le fate ignoranti. The movie won four Ciak d’oro, five Globi d’oro and four Nastro d'Argento
awards. Angiolini, in her acting debut, won the David di Donatello
award for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
That same year, Özpetek served on the jury at the 64th Venice International Film Festival. He also directed commercial ads, including a spot for the AIRL (the Italian association for cancer research) that featured Isabella Ferrari
.
In 2008, Özpetek ended his partnership with producers Romoli and Corsi, and starts a new one with Domenico Procacci and his Fandango company. Also, for the first time, he begins work on a movie that is not based on his own original story idea. The film was based on a novel written by Melania Gaia Mazzucco called Un giorno perfetto (A Perfect Day). The film version of Un giorno Perfetto starred Isabella Ferrari
and Valerio Mastandrea
and was presented at the 65th Venice International Film Festival. It grossed 3 million euro at the box-office.
In 2008, the Museum of Modern Art
in New York City
, dedicated a retrospective on him, screening all of his movies. He has been one of the few Italian directors to be given this honour.
In April 2009, he directed a short movie called Nonostante tutto è Pasqua (Despite Everything it's Easter), a segment of the project L’Aquila 2009 - Cinque registi tra le macerie, in which multiple directors took on subjects regarding the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake
. Özpetek’s short was dedicated to Alessandra Cora, an aspiring singer who died in her house’s rubble.
His next film Mine Vaganti
was released in 2010. It was co-written with Ivan Cotroneo and stars Riccardo Scamarcio
, Alessandro Preziosi, Nicole Grimaudo
and Ennio Fantastichini. It is a comedy concerning the family issues of a household in Lecce
. This is one of the few movies Özpetek has set outside Rome
, a city very close to his heart. On May 22, 2010, the city of Lecce
declared Özpetek honorary citizen.
The movie was presented out of competition at the 70th edition of the Berlinale as well as at the Tribeca Film Festival
2010, getting a special recognition of the jury.
In 2011 he was asked to direct Verdi’s famous opera La Traviata
at San Carlo Opera House
, and reportedly he agreed that he would do so in 2012.
Biography
Ferzan Ozpetek was born in IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in 1959. When he was a young student in 1976, he decided to move to Italy to study Cinema History at Sapienza University of Rome. He completed his education attending art history and costume design classes at the Navona Academy. He also attended director classes at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art.
After receiving stage experience with Julian Beck
Julian Beck
Julian Beck was an American actor, director, poet, and painter.-Early life:Beck was born in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan in New York City, the son of Mabel Lucille , a teacher, and Irving Beck, a businessman. He briefly attended Yale University, but dropped out to pursue writing and...
’s Living Theatre, he moved to the cinema landscape, by working as a director assistant to Massimo Troisi
Massimo Troisi
Massimo Troisi was an Italian actor, film director, and poet. He is best known for his role as Mario Ruoppolo in the 1994 film Il Postino.- Early years and TV star :...
, Maurizio Ponzi
Maurizio Ponzi
Maurizio Ponzi is an Italian film director, screenwriter and cinema critic.Born in Rome, he wrote cinema reviews in several Italian magazines during the early 1960s...
, Ricky Tognazzi
Ricky Tognazzi
Riccardo Tognazzi is an Italian actor and film director. He has appeared in 50 films and television shows since 1963. His film The Escort was entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival...
, Sergio Citti
Sergio Citti
Sergio Citti was an Italian film director and screenwriter, born in Rome. He often worked with Pier Paolo Pasolini, but also worked for others such as Ettore Scola. His own films include We Free Kings, which won an award.His 1981 film Il minestrone was entered into the 31st Berlin International...
and Francesco Nuti
Francesco Nuti
Francesco Nuti is an Italian actor, film director and screenwriter.-Biography:Born in Prato, Nuti began his professional career as an actor in the late 1970s, when he formed the cabaret group Giancattivi together with Alessandro Benvenuti and Athina Cenci...
. His first work has been as Troisi’s assistant director for Scusate il ritardo, followed by Ponzi’s Sono contento, where he has a small role performing as a “madonnaro”.
His directorial debut was with Hamam
Hamam (film)
Hamam is a 1997 Italian-Turkish-Spanish film directed by Ferzan Özpetek about the powerful transformations certain places can cause in people.- Synopsis :...
, an Italian, Spanish and Turkish co-production. The movie, released in May 1997, was presented at the 50th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in the Quinzaine des Realisateurs session. The movie was presented in other international festivals and was sold for distribution in more than 20 countries around the world.
In 1999, he directed Harem Suare
Harem Suare
Harem Suare is a 1999 Turkish drama film directed by Ferzan Özpetek. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Marie Gillain - Safiye* Alex Descas - Nadir* Lucia Bosé - Old Safiye* Valeria Golino - Anita...
, set in his native land of Turkey, telling the tormented love story between the sultan’s favourite, Safiye, and the eunuch Nadir, with the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the background. The story was written by Özpetek himself in collaboration with Gianni Romoli, who also produced the movie with Tilde Corsi and their R&C Production company. The film was presented in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, as well as at the London Film Festival
London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
and at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
.
In 2001, Özpetek directed His Secret Life (Le Fate Ignoranti), starring Margherita Buy
Margherita Buy
Margherita Buy is an Italian actress born in Rome on 15 January 1962.-Overview:After a long period of studying at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, she made her breakthrough role in Duccio Tessari's Una grande storia d'amore , which was followed by roles in Daniele Luchetti's two projects Domani...
and Stefano Accorsi
Stefano Accorsi
Stefano Lelio Beniamino Accorsi is an Italian actor.-Early life and background:Accorsi was born in Bologna. He graduated from Bologna's Theatrical School in 1993, and acted in the theatre for several years before moving to cinema....
, a sweet and easy to watch drama about homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and bonding and friendship of several kinds of outsiders. The movie won numerous awards including three Globi d’oro and four Nastro d'Argento
Nastro d'Argento
The 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...
awards.
Facing Windows
Facing Windows
Facing Windows is a 2003 Italian movie directed by Ferzan Özpetek.Tagline: Desire knows no bounds.-Plot:...
(La finestra di fronte) (2003) was his next film. It starred Giovanna Mezzogiorno
Giovanna Mezzogiorno
Giovanna Mezzogiorno is an Italian theatre and film actress.Giovanna Mezzogiorno was born in Rome, November 9, 1974, daughter of actors Vittorio Mezzogiorno and Cecilia Sacchi. She grew up watching her parents on set, conscious about acting. At first she wanted to become a ballerina and she...
, Roul Bova, Filippo Nigro and Massimo Girotti
Massimo Girotti
Massimo Girotti was an Italian film actor whose career spanned seven decades.Born in Mogliano, in the province of Macerata, Girotti developed his athletic physique by swimming and polo...
, in what turned out to be his last performance on film. The film won multiple awards including: five David di Donatello
David di Donatello
David 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...
, four Ciak d’Oro and three Globi d’Oro awards. The film's success in Italy and the rest of Europe, led it to be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics is an art-house film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in December 1991 that distributes, produces and acquires specialty films from the United States and around the world. Its co-presidents are Michael Barker and Tom Bernard...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Once again pairing up with producers Gianni Romoli and Tilde Corsi, in 2005, Özpetek directed Cuore sacro
Cuore Sacro
Cuore sacro is a 2005 Italian language film which tells the story of an Italian workaholic businesswoman Irene who experiences the loss of two of her friends by suicide...
, which received 12 nominations at the David di Donatello
David di Donatello
David 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...
awards, where Barbora Bobulova
Barbora Bobulová
Barbora Bobuľová is a Slovak actress.Born in Martin, Slovakia, Bobuľová trained at the National Drama Academy in Bratislava before moving to Italy in 1995...
won the Best Actress award. The film also won the award for production design.
His next film, Saturno contro
Saturno contro (film)
Saturno contro is a 2007 Italian drama film directed by Ferzan Özpetek. The Turkish title is Bir ömür yetmez. The U.S. title is Saturn in Opposition and had its U.S. premiere at Frameline in San Francisco on 20 June 2008.-Plot:...
, was released in 2007. It featured a very rich cast: Pierfrancesco Favino
Pierfrancesco Favino
Pierfrancesco Favino is an actor from Rome, Italy. He has appeared in 35 films and television series' since the early 1990s, including: L'ultimo bacio, Le chiavi di casa , La Sconosciuta or Saturno contro . Favino received the David di Donatello award in 2006 for his role in the film Romanzo...
, Luca Argentero, Isabella Ferrari
Isabella Ferrari
Isabella Ferrari , is the stage name of Isabella Fogliazza, an Italian actress of television, theatre and the cinema. She is best known as the protagonist, Commissioner Giovanna Scalise in the police drama series Distretto di Polizia and Distretto di Polizia 2 which was televised on Mediaset's...
and Ambra Angiolini
Ambra Angiolini
Ambra Angiolini was an Italian TV host and singer in the '90s. Nowadays she mainly works as an actress.Her career began in 1992, at the age of 15, when she took part in the second edition of Non è la Rai....
, and also Margherita Buy
Margherita Buy
Margherita Buy is an Italian actress born in Rome on 15 January 1962.-Overview:After a long period of studying at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, she made her breakthrough role in Duccio Tessari's Una grande storia d'amore , which was followed by roles in Daniele Luchetti's two projects Domani...
and Stefano Accorsi
Stefano Accorsi
Stefano Lelio Beniamino Accorsi is an Italian actor.-Early life and background:Accorsi was born in Bologna. He graduated from Bologna's Theatrical School in 1993, and acted in the theatre for several years before moving to cinema....
with whom he worked with earlier, in Le fate ignoranti. The movie won four Ciak d’oro, five Globi d’oro and four Nastro d'Argento
Nastro d'Argento
The 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...
awards. Angiolini, in her acting debut, won the David di Donatello
David di Donatello
David 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...
award for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
That same year, Özpetek served on the jury at the 64th Venice International Film Festival. He also directed commercial ads, including a spot for the AIRL (the Italian association for cancer research) that featured Isabella Ferrari
Isabella Ferrari
Isabella Ferrari , is the stage name of Isabella Fogliazza, an Italian actress of television, theatre and the cinema. She is best known as the protagonist, Commissioner Giovanna Scalise in the police drama series Distretto di Polizia and Distretto di Polizia 2 which was televised on Mediaset's...
.
In 2008, Özpetek ended his partnership with producers Romoli and Corsi, and starts a new one with Domenico Procacci and his Fandango company. Also, for the first time, he begins work on a movie that is not based on his own original story idea. The film was based on a novel written by Melania Gaia Mazzucco called Un giorno perfetto (A Perfect Day). The film version of Un giorno Perfetto starred Isabella Ferrari
Isabella Ferrari
Isabella Ferrari , is the stage name of Isabella Fogliazza, an Italian actress of television, theatre and the cinema. She is best known as the protagonist, Commissioner Giovanna Scalise in the police drama series Distretto di Polizia and Distretto di Polizia 2 which was televised on Mediaset's...
and Valerio Mastandrea
Valerio Mastandrea
Valerio Mastandrea is an Italian film actor. Mastandrea was born at Garbatella, Rome, Italy. He is a former philosophy student turned actor.-Awards:...
and was presented at the 65th Venice International Film Festival. It grossed 3 million euro at the box-office.
In 2008, the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, dedicated a retrospective on him, screening all of his movies. He has been one of the few Italian directors to be given this honour.
In April 2009, he directed a short movie called Nonostante tutto è Pasqua (Despite Everything it's Easter), a segment of the project L’Aquila 2009 - Cinque registi tra le macerie, in which multiple directors took on subjects regarding the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake
2009 L'Aquila earthquake
The 2009 L'Aquila earthquake occurred in the region of Abruzzo, in central Italy. The main shock occurred at 3:32 local time on 6 April 2009, and was rated 5.8 on the Richter scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale; its epicentre was near L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, which together...
. Özpetek’s short was dedicated to Alessandra Cora, an aspiring singer who died in her house’s rubble.
His next film Mine Vaganti
Loose Cannons (film)
Loose Cannons is a 2010 Italian film directed by Turkish-Italian film director Ferzan Özpetek.-Plot:The Cantones are a bourgeois family who own a pasta factory in Lecce in the conservative southern Italy. One of the two sons, Tommaso, returns from his studies in Rome and hopes to make the most of...
was released in 2010. It was co-written with Ivan Cotroneo and stars Riccardo Scamarcio
Riccardo Scamarcio
Riccardo Scamarcio is an Italian film actor.-Biography:Scamarcio was born in Trani, Apulia.He went to train as an actor at the Scuola Nazionale di Cinema in Rome, where he now lives. His debut acting role was in a TV series in 2000, while his first ever lead role in a feature film was in Tre...
, Alessandro Preziosi, Nicole Grimaudo
Nicole Grimaudo
Nicole Grimaudo is an actress born on 22 April 1980, in Caltagirone, Sicily, Italy. She began her career on the Italian television show "Non è la Rai" in 1994-1995, and later moved to TV and cinema films and theatre....
and Ennio Fantastichini. It is a comedy concerning the family issues of a household in Lecce
Lecce
Lecce is a historic city of 95,200 inhabitants in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce, the second province in the region by population, as well as one of the most important cities of Puglia...
. This is one of the few movies Özpetek has set outside 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...
, a city very close to his heart. On May 22, 2010, the city of Lecce
Lecce
Lecce is a historic city of 95,200 inhabitants in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce, the second province in the region by population, as well as one of the most important cities of Puglia...
declared Özpetek honorary citizen.
The movie was presented out of competition at the 70th edition of the Berlinale as well as at the 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...
2010, getting a special recognition of the jury.
In 2011 he was asked to direct Verdi’s famous opera La Traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
at San Carlo Opera House
Teatro di San Carlo
The Real Teatro di San Carlo is an opera house in Naples, Italy. It is the oldest continuously active such venue in Europe.Founded by the Bourbon Charles VII of Naples of the Spanish branch of the dynasty, the theatre was inaugurated on 4 November 1737 — the king's name day — with a performance...
, and reportedly he agreed that he would do so in 2012.
Assistant director
- Il tenente dei carabinieri (1986)
- Il maestro del terrore (The Prince of Terror- 1988, TV)
- La Scorta (The Bodyguards, 1993)
- Anche i commercialisti hanno un'anima (1994)
- Il Branco (1994)
Director
- HamamHamam (film)Hamam is a 1997 Italian-Turkish-Spanish film directed by Ferzan Özpetek about the powerful transformations certain places can cause in people.- Synopsis :...
(Il bagno turco, 1997) - Harem SuareHarem SuareHarem Suare is a 1999 Turkish drama film directed by Ferzan Özpetek. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Marie Gillain - Safiye* Alex Descas - Nadir* Lucia Bosé - Old Safiye* Valeria Golino - Anita...
(1999) - The Ignorant Fairies (Le fate ignoranti, 2001)
- Facing WindowsFacing WindowsFacing Windows is a 2003 Italian movie directed by Ferzan Özpetek.Tagline: Desire knows no bounds.-Plot:...
(La finestra di fronte, 2003) - Cuore sacroCuore SacroCuore sacro is a 2005 Italian language film which tells the story of an Italian workaholic businesswoman Irene who experiences the loss of two of her friends by suicide...
(2005) - Saturno controSaturno contro (film)Saturno contro is a 2007 Italian drama film directed by Ferzan Özpetek. The Turkish title is Bir ömür yetmez. The U.S. title is Saturn in Opposition and had its U.S. premiere at Frameline in San Francisco on 20 June 2008.-Plot:...
(2007) - Un giorno perfetto (2008)
- Loose Cannons (film)Loose Cannons (film)Loose Cannons is a 2010 Italian film directed by Turkish-Italian film director Ferzan Özpetek.-Plot:The Cantones are a bourgeois family who own a pasta factory in Lecce in the conservative southern Italy. One of the two sons, Tommaso, returns from his studies in Rome and hopes to make the most of...
(Mine vaganti 2010)
Awards
Only awards won for best direction or best film are included.- Facing Windows:
- David di Donatello Award
- Best film
- Scholars Jury Award
- Best Direction
- Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists
- Best Original Story (together with Gianni Romoli)
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
- Best Direction
- Crystal Globe for Ferzan Özpetek
- Bangkok International Film Festival
- Best Film
- Foyle Film Festival
- Best Feature
- Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival, Audience Award
- Best Feature
- Seattle International Film Festival
- Best film
- David di Donatello Award
- Hamam (Il bagno turco)
- Golden Orange (Antalya International Film Festival)
- Best film
- Best direction
- Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon award
- Best Producer
- Golden Orange (Antalya International Film Festival)
- The Ignorant Fairies (Le fate ignoranti)
- Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival
- Best Feature
- New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
- Best Feature
- Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival
- 2008. Italian Medal of Merit.