Franco Zeffirelli Biography
Franco Zeffirelli is an Italian director and set designer. During his years of training at the Faculty of Architecture in Florence, Zeffirelli worked as a set designer for some theater companies. In the 1950s he emerged as a theater director, staging operas in Milan, London and New York. After working as an assistant director for famous directors such as Antonioni, De Sica, Rossellini and especially Visconti, Zeffirelli made his directorial debut with "Camping" in 1958. He went on to direct successful films such as "The Taming of the Shrew" (1966), "Romeo and Juliet" (1967, Oscar nominated for best director), "Endless Love" (1980) and "La Traviata" (1982, BAFTA award for best costumes and best scenography), consolidating his fame international.
In 1971, he directed his first religious film, "Brother Sun, Sister Moon." In 1976, he made a blockbuster for television on the life of Christ entitled "Jesus of Nazareth". After "Il Campione" (1978) and "Amore senza fine" (1980), Zeffirelli directed his signature sumptuous version of "La Traviata" with Placido Domingo in 1982. In 1986, he directed "Otello" with tenor Placido Domingo and Katia Ricciarelli.
After some failures such as "The Young Toscanini" (1988) and "The Story of a Blackcap" (1993), Zeffirelli directed two great successful films: "Hamlet" (1991, with Mel Gibson and Glen Close) and "Jane Eyre" (1995, with Charlotte Gainsbourgh and William Hurt). In 1998, after a period also dedicated to politics, he returned to great international success with "Tea with Mussolini", inspired by his autobiography, which recounts his childhood in Florence and the education he received from a group of eccentric ladies English art lovers.
In 2002, Zeffirelli received the David di Donatello for lifetime achievement.
