Nelo Risi

Nelo Risi was born in Milan in 1920. Already in 1948 he was working alongside RIchar Leacock and John Ferno, cameraman and director of photography respectively to Flaherty and Joris Ivens. He moved back to Italy after having called Paris home during the early 1950’s. Since that time, he has produced countless written and cinematographic works, revealing himself to be one of Italy’s most eclectic artists. He is the author of recognized masterpieces of late twentieth century Italian poetry and of films that continue to leave their mark. Some of his most renown poetry books are: Pensieri elementari (1961), Dentro la sostanza (1965), Di certe cose (1970), Le risonanze (1987), Altro da Dire (2000), Ruggine (2004), Né il giorno né l’ora (2008). Among his unforgettable documentaries of the 1950’s are I fratelli Rosselli and Il delitto Matteotti. His fictional filmmaking begins at the box office in 1966 with Andremo in città (1966), based on eponymous novel by Edith Bruck, his lifelong partner. In 1968, Risi directs arguably his most famous film: Diario di una schizofrenica, which has remained engrained in many people’s memory as one of the greatest examples of film as narration of the analytic experience.