Francesco Rosi, a point of reference for internationally renowned filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese and Paolo Sorrentino, continues to have a fundamental impact on the Italian artistic landscape, remaining one of the most authoritative figures in world cinema.

“I was born on November 15, 1922, on a bright top floor, where my mother's family lived, in the Montecalvario district, a few steps from the Teatro Nuovo.” This is how he recalls his birth in Naples, where from a young age he frequented Raffaele La Capria and then, during his university years, Giorgio Napolitano, Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, Antonio Ghirelli, Maurizio Barendson, a group of young people who would liven up many areas of our country's life, from politics to journalism, from cinema to theater.

His career began in the theater in 1947 when Ettore Giannini asked him to be his assistant on Salvatore Di Giacomo's "The Vote," starring Salvo Randone and Sarah Ferrati. In October, he replaced his friend Achille Millo as his assistant, alongside Franco Zeffirelli, on "The Earth Trembles," which Luchino Visconti shot in Sicily. Thus began his adventure in the world of cinema, as he would call it in his autobiography with Giuseppe Tornatore.

In the 1950s, Rosi collaborated with Luciano Emmer, Raffaello Matarazzo, Luigi Zampa, and Michelangelo Antonioni, during a period that marked one of the high points of Italian filmmaking. In 1958, he made his directorial debut with "La sfida," a hard-hitting film that chronicled Italy's transition from rural to industrial, marked by the power of the Mafia.

With "Hands Over the City" (1963), winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Rosi denounced the political and urban planning corruption of Naples. His films, from "Salvatore Giuliano" to "Three Brothers" (Oscar-nominated in 1982) to "The Truce," explore the human condition in the face of power.

His cinema is a rigorous lesson in method, characterized by a critical and profoundly human style, permeated by ethical tension. Critic Michel Ciment writes: "Rosi hunts for lies, ferrets them out everywhere, reveals the deceptive appearances of a world that operates in the shadows."“

One of his most significant films is "The Mattei Affair" (1972), in which he tackles the mystery of the death of Enrico Mattei, president of ENI. Rosi uses cinema as a powerful investigative tool, delving into the webs of power and corruption that shaped the affair.

Rosi rejects the label of "political cinema," emphasizing that his films are artistic works that transcend time and space. His collaborators include screenwriters such as Tonino Guerra, Suso Cecchi d'Amico, and Franco Solinas, and cinematographers such as Gianni Di Venanzo and Pasqualino De Santis. His works are enriched by the music of Gianni Ferrio, Piero Piccioni, Luis Enriquez Bacalov, and Ennio Morricone, as well as by the performances of extraordinary actors such as Gian Maria Volonté, Philippe Noiret, John Turturro, Lea Massari, Irene Papas, and Sophia Loren.

Francesco Rosi has always asked the audience to be active, to reflect, to be outraged, and to feel like a citizen. In 2003, he returned to the theater with Eduardo De Filippo's "Napoli milionaria!", a powerful play that, along with "Uomini contro" and "La tregua," highlights his determination against all forms of war. His daughter Carolina writes: "La tregua is a warning: the unprecedented violence that obliterates human dignity is always lurking."“

2025 will mark the tenth anniversary of his passing. Francesco Rosi passed away in his Roman home on January 10, 2015. In his diaries, published in 2022 for the centenary of his birth, he wrote: "A film sees, documents, denounces, imagines, narrates. To do this, it thinks."“

TIMELESS MASTERPIECES OF PROTEST AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Among his masterpieces, we find:

• Salvatore Giuliano (1962) – It recounts the Portella della Ginestra massacre of May 1, 1947, investigating the links between crime, politics, and justice.
• Hands on the City (1963) – A scathing analysis of political corruption in Naples through the story of a builder and city councilor.
• The Mattei case (1972) – Investigates the mysterious death of Enrico Mattei, describing his attempt to challenge the multinational oil companies.
• Excellent Corpses (1976) – Based on Leonardo Sciascia's "Il contesto," it is a reflection on political manipulation and the impunity of the powerful.
• Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979) – Based on the book by Carlo Levi, it recounts the anti-fascist author's exile in Lucania.
• Forget Palermo (1990) – It addresses the problem of drug trafficking and the legalization of drugs, continuing the discussion already begun in “Lucky Luciano”.
• The Truce (1997) – Based on the book by Primo Levi, it narrates the return home of the Auschwitz survivors, describing a physical and moral odyssey in devastated Europe.

Francesco Rosi, intellectual, artist, and filmmaker, continues to be an inspiration to those who see cinema as a tool for critical reflection. His ability to explore reality, his clear vision, and his passion for justice are his most relevant legacy.