Update: On December 9, 2021, Lina Wertmüller passed away at the age of 93. Whether you’re referring to her name, her look or her style of filmmaking, Lina Wertmüller stands out in a crowd. Born in Rome in 1926 to a family of Swiss aristocrats, Wertmüller was a rebel at heart. She ignored her father’s pleas to study law and instead enrolled in film school. That choice would eventually land her at the Academy Awards as the first woman director nominated for an Oscar. After graduating from school, Wertmüller played a variety of roles in the movie business. From acting to writing plays to directing, she worked with a number of influential artists during those years including Federico Fellini, Marcello Mastroianni and her future muse, Giancarlo Giannini. In 1962, she landed a career-changing job as an assistant director on Fellini’s 8½ and the following year, made her directorial debut with The Lizards (I basilischi). The film was shot along the border of the southern Italian r...
100+ YEARS OF THE GREAT ITALIAN MOVIEMAKERS