The Berlin International Film Festival will hold a special screening of Many Wars Ago (Uomini Contro) in honor of late Italian director Francesco Rosi.
Rosi, winner of Cannes’ Palme d’Or in 1972 for The Mattei Affair and the Golden Lion in Venice for Hands Over City in 1963, died on Saturday. He was 92.
Read more Palme d’Or Winner Francesco Rosi Dead at 92
Rosi was widely considered one of the great masters of European post-war cinema, exploring divisive political issues in his work. Many Wars Ago (1970), is an anti-war drama set on the Italian/Austrian front during World War I and depicts a disastrous Italian attack upon the Austrian positions leading to a mutiny among the decimated Italian troops.
“The loss of Francesco Rosi is the loss of an outstanding filmmaker. With their explosive power, Rosi’s films are still persuasive today. His works are classics of politically engaged cinema,” said Berlin Film Festival director Dieter Kosslick.
Rosi won Berlin’s Silver Bear for best director in 1962 for Salvatore Giuliano. The German festival last honored him with a tribute in 2008, screening 13 of his films and presenting him with a lifetime achievement Golden Bear for his work.
The 65th Berlin International Film Festival runs Feb. 5-15.
Twitter: @sroxborough
