Mauro Bolognini(1922-2001)

Worked as assistant director under neo-realist director Luigi Zampa from 1948 to 1952. Subsequently in France as assistant to Jean Delannoy and Yves Allégret. Directed his own films from 1953, his best output coming from scripts by Pier Paolo Pasolini (such as La noche brava (1959)) or adaptations of works by Alberto Moravia.

[on his working as an assistant to director Luigi Zampa] Zampa taught me so much. At the same time he terrified me because I was extremely shy while he had a forceful and extroverted nature. I kept thinking to myself, "I'll never be able to do this job! I'll never have the strength that he has!" Every time he called me, I used to blush and start to shake for no reason.