CALOPRESTI, MIMMO

(1955-)

Screenwriter, actor, producer, director. After producing several prize-winning videos and a number of historical documentaries for the Democratic Workers Movement and RAI television, Calopresti directed his first feature film,La seconda volta(The Second Time, 1995), an exploration of the personal consequences of the political terrorism of the 1970s, which was immediately nominated for the Golden Palm in Cannes and earned its female lead, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, aDavid di Donatello. This was followed byLa parola amore esiste(Notes of Love, 1998), the bitter-sweet tale of a dysfunctional infatuation, andPreferisco il Rumore del Mare(I Prefer the Sound of the Sea, 1999). In 2002 Calopresti brought his acting talents to the fore, playing the male lead inFrancesca Comencini'sLe parole di mio padre(My Father's Words, 2002), an elegant and sensitive adaptation of a novel by Italo Svevo, while also directing himself in his fourth feature,La felicita non costa niente(Happiness Costs Nothing, 2002). He subsequently produced actress Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's directorial debut,E piu facile per un cammello. . . (It's Easier for a Camel. . . , 2003), which was followed byVolevo solo vivere(I Only Wanted to Live, 2005), adocumentarybringing together the testimonies of nine Italian concentration camp survivors, coproduced by RAI cinema and Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation Institute.