One hundred years ago one of the greatest protagonists of the Italian twentieth century was born: the director Federico Fellini. Born on 20 January 1920 in Rimini into a humble family (his father was a liquor salesman and his mother, of Roman origin, a housewife), Fellini is considered one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema: over almost forty years – from The white sheik of the 1952 a The voice of the moon of 1990 – has “portrayed” a small crowd of memorable characters in dozens of feature films. He defined himself "a craftsman who has nothing to say, but knows how to say it". He left works rich in satire and veiled in a subtle melancholy, characterized by a dreamlike and visionary style. The titles of his most famous films – La strada, The nights of Cabiria, Dolce vita, 8'' e Amarcord – they became gods topos cited, in their original language, throughout the world.
His movies La strada, The nights of Cabiria, 8'' e Amarcord they won the Oscar for best foreign film. Nominated 12 times for the Academy Award, for his activity as a filmmaker he was awarded the Oscar for his career in 1993. He also won the Moscow Film Festival twice (1963 and 1987), the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1960 and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 1985.
Although born in Rimini, his life was soon linked to Rome: son of Ida Barbiani, originally from the Esquilino district, he soon arrived in the capital, as early as 1939, going to live in the San Giovanni area. He made his debut as a cartoonist, then from 1941 he starts with the radio: he is called to collaborate with the Ente Italiano Audizioni Radiofoniche (EIAR), starting a short season as a radio author. Although less known than his cinematographic work, Fellini's radio activity is important as it marks his debut in the world of entertainment, as well as the beginning of the artistic and emotional partnership with Giulietta Masina. The rest is history.
