Nanni Moretti

Giovanni "Nanni" Moretti, born on 19 August 1953 in Bruneck, South Tyrol, Italy, is a towering figure of contemporary Italian cinema, renowned for his multifaceted roles as an actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. Coming from a family of teachers—his father Luigi Moretti was a respected epigraphist and Greek professor at Sapienza University—Moretti cultivated an early love for both cinema and water polo, a dual passion that later infused his work with a distinctive blend of personal introspection and sporting metaphor, most notably in the 1989 film Palombella Rossa. After directing two short films in 1973, he launched his feature‑film career with Io sono un autarchico in 1976, quickly establishing a style characterized by self‑reflexive humor, political engagement, and a willingness to place himself at the centre of the narrative. His breakthrough came with Ecce Bombo (1978), which earned a Cannes screening, and he subsequently secured a series of major festival accolades: the Special Jury Prize at Venice for Sogni d'oro (1981), the Silver Bear at Berlin for La messa è finita (1986), and the Palme d'Or for La stanza del figlio (2001). Moretti's oeuvre is marked by a relentless dialogue with Italian society, as seen in the politically charged Il caimano (2006), where he portrays Silvio Berlusconi, and the contemplative We Have a Pope (2011), which interrogates the Catholic hierarchy. His later works, such as Mia madre (2015) and Three Floors (2021), continue to compete for Cannes' top prize, cementing his reputation as a perennial fixture of the festival’s competition lineup.\n\nBeyond his cinematic achievements, Moretti is an outspoken left‑wing activist, having organised protests against the Berlusconi government in the early 2000s, and he remains a cultural icon in Italy, co‑owning the beloved Nuovo Sacher cinema in Rome. Although his films achieve modest commercial success outside Europe, they enjoy critical acclaim and have garnered numerous David di Donatello awards for Best Film, Director and Producer. Known for his wry humor, eccentric storytelling, and frequent collaborations with actors such as Silvio Orlando and Laura Morante, Moretti continues to shape Italian film with a unique voice that blends personal narrative, social commentary, and artistic daring.