Paolo (San Miniato, Italy, November 8, 1931) and Vittorio Taviani (San Miniato, Italy, September 20, 1929 - Rome, Italy, April 15, 2018)

Younger brother Paolo Taviani studiearts at the University in Pisa and the older, Vittorio, law at the same University. They got interested in film after seeing the war drama Paisà (1946) by Roberto Rossellini. For some time they also worked as journalists. Afterwards they started to write and direct short films and their first feature long film was the documentary L'Italia non è un paese povero (1960) that they made together with Joris Ivens. With Valentino Orsini they directed dramas Un uomo da bruciare (1962) and I fuorilegge del matrimonio (1963). They also took part in the documentary omnibus L'Italia con Togliatti (1964), and then directed their first feature length drama The Subversives (I sovversivi, 1967). Afterwards they directed the historical drama Under the Sign of Scorpio (Sotto il segno dello scorpione, 1969) starring Gian Maria Volontè. Their historical drama St. Michael Had a Rooster (San Michele aveva un gallo, 1972), based on Tolstoy’s short story, they received very good reviews from film critics. Marcello Mastroianni stars as an aging revolutionary who wants to retire in their historical drama Allonsanfàn (1974). Their biopic My Father My Master (Padre Padrone, 1977), based on a true story of a pastor’s son from Sardinia, won awards at several international film festivals including the Golden Palm and the FIPRESCI award in Cannes in 1977. They ended the 1970’s with a less successful drama Il prato (1979). Once again they attracted attention from the international audience and critics with their war drama with fantastic elements Night of the Shooting Stars (La notte di San Lorenzo, 1982), which won the award from the Grand jury and the award from the ecumenical jury in Cannes in 1982, the Italian film award David for best director in 1983, Italian Golden Globe for best film in 1984 and many other awards. Based on short stories by Luigi Pirandello they directed the omnibus Chaos (1984), and at the end of 1980’s directed the drama Good morning Babilonia (1987) about two brothers who immigrate to the US. Their next feature film was the drama Night Sun (Il sole anche di notte, 1990) based on Tolstoy’s short story and starring Julian Sands and Charlotte Gainsbourg. During the 1990’s they directed dramas Fiorile (1993), Elective Affinites (Le affinità elettive, 1996) and You Laugh (Tu ridi, 1998) but they were not very successful. They also directed several television films and then returned to the big screen with the historical drama Lark Farm (La masseria delle allodole, 2007), based on the book by the writer Antonia Arslan about the genocide of the Armeniam people carried out by Turks. Their film Caesar Must Die (Cesare deve morire, 2012) about inmates in a prison who prepare for a public performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar again attracted great attention from audiences as well as critics. It won the Golden Bear and the award from the ecumenical jury in Berlin, the Italian David for best film and director and the Silver award of the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. They continued to use literary originals for their films and directed Maraviglioso Boccaccio (2015), while Una questione privata (2017) is currently in post-production.