Scriptwriter, screenwriter, writer, he was born in Luzzara (Reggio Emilia) on September 20 th 1902. About in the thirties hebegan an intense activity of writer and journalist, also directing the periodic " Cinema illustrazione ", and writing some books of a light and a few surrealistic humor, such Parliamo tanto di me, I poveri sono matti and other, that imposed him to the attention of the criticique and of the public as one of the most original Italian humorists of that years. He started to work in cinema as scriptwriter and screenwriter, in 1935, beginning with Darò un milione (M. Camerini) and going on with other films of a certain interest. But the full and symptomatic affirmation of a truth and genuine temperament of scriptwriter happened only some years later, in 1942 with Four steps in the clouds (A. Blasetti) and in 1943 with Children are watching us (V. De Sica), that already introduce Neorealism. The meeting with Vittorio De Sica will condition the whole following cinema activity of Zavattini that, from 1945, will impose himself as the supporter and the theorist of an antinovel, chronicles daily cinema, all intent to gather man in the most intimate and revealing moments of his existence. In this direction they are exemplary, Shoe shine (1946), The bicycle thief (1948) and, above all, Umberto D (1952), all directed by Vittorio De Sica, more and more purified of any falsely dramatic element to reach the critical contemplation of a determined human condition. Besides the limits granted by the necessary spectacular construction of the film, he will try to go with a series of film-investigation realized by different directors on expressely selected themes: Love in the city (1953) in which he wanted to reach the direct contact with reality in its making in the episode Storia di Caterina (F. Maselli); We, the women(1953), Le Italiane e l’amore(1961), I misteri di Roma(1963), in which he brought, with debatable results, to the extreme consequences his poetic of the "shadowing ". Close to the more properly Neorealistic vein of his work has always been present also the vein that we could define surrealistic, characteristic of his first tests of writer, that have punctuated his whole career of scriptwriter with notable results, as in Miracle in Milan (1951), or disappointing, as The last judgment (1961), directed by Vittorio De Sica both. Among the other works of relief, it has to be remembered E' primavera (1949, R. Castellani), Bellissima (1951, L. Visconti), Fathers Dilemma(1950, A. Blasetti), Hello elephant (1952, G. Franciolini) and The roof (1956, V. De Sica), that can be considered the film that begins the regressive period of the Zavattini’s poetic and the crisis of the Neorealism. [... ] Anyway for the great creative contribution he has given to the Italian cinema of the postwar period and the affirmation of Neorealism and for the fervor of initiatives, above all between the young people, that he has promoted, facilitated and influenced, Zavattini occupies a place of great importance in the history of cinema, and not only in the Italian one. To his name a period remains tied, extremely rich of work of value and cultural ferments, that have characterized a wide sector of the cinema production: the Neorealism.

FILMOGRAPHY

1935 - Darò un milione
1942 - Four Steps in the Clouds
1943 - The Children Are Watching Us
1946 - The Gate of Heaven (product in 1943)
1946 - Il testimone
1946 - Un giorno nella vita
1946 - Il mondo vuole cosí
1946 - Canto, ma sottovoce
1946 - Shoe shine
1947 - Il marito povero
1947 - L'angelo e il diavolo
1947 - Il Passatore
1947 - Lo sconosciuto di San Marino
1948 - La grande aurora
1948 - The Bicycle Thief
1948 - The Tragic pursuit
1949 - Fabiola
1949 - Beyond the Gates
1949 - Springtime in Italy
1949 - Vent'anni
1950 - The Sky is Red
1950 - La sposa non può attendere (Anselmo ha fretta)
1950 - Sunday in August
1950 - His Last Twelve Hours ...
1950 - La roccia incantata
1950 - Father's Dilemma
1951 - Mamma mia che impressione!
1951 - Miracle in Milan
1951 - Bellissima
1952 - Il cappotto
1952 - Rome, eleven o'clock
1952 - Umberto D
1952 - Hello Elephant!
1952 - Cinque poveri in automobile
1953 - La passeggiata
1953 - Piovuto dal cielo
1953 - Angels of Darkness
1953 - A Husband for Anna
1953 - La voce del silenzio
1953 - Indiscretion of an American Wife
1953 - Love in the City
1953 - We, The Women
1954 - Gold of Naples
1955 - The Sign of Venus
1956 - Cavallina storna (product in 1953)
1956 - The Roof
1956 - The Virtuous Bigamist
1956 - The Awakening
1957 - Amore e chiacchiere
1957 - The Doll That Took the Town
1959 - Nel blu dipinto di blu
1960 - Two Women
1960 - La guerra
1960 - Il rossetto
1961 - The Last Jugement
1961 - Boccaccio '70 (episode La riffa)
1961 - Le italiane e l'amore
1961 - Il sicario
1962 - The Vondemned of Altona
1963 - Il boom
1963 - I misteri di Roma
1963 - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
1964 - Controsesso (episode "Cocaina di domenica")
1964 - Matrimonio all'italiana
1966 - Andremo in città
1966 - After the Fox
1966 - A New World
1967 - The Witches (episode "Una sera come le altre")
1967 - Woman Times Seven
1968 - I sette fratelli Cervi
1968 - Capriccio all'italiana (episode "La gelosa")
1968 - A Place for Loves
1969 - La donna invisibile
1970 - Sunflowers
1970 - The Garden of the Finzi-Contini
1972 - We'll Call Him Andrew
1973 - A Brief Vacation
1978 - The Children of Sanchez
1982 - La veritaaaà (TV)
1995 - A Walk in the Clouds

PRIZES

1948-49: Silver ribbon for the best subject and the best screen-play (The Bicycle Thief)
1949-50: Silver ribbon for the best subject and the best screen-play (Springtime in Italy)
1950-51: Silver ribbon for the best subject and the best screen-play (Father's Dilemma)
1957: Silver ribbon for the best subject and the best screen-play (The Roof)