Life and career

Born in Bagheria near Palermo, Tornatore developed an interest in acting and the theatre from at least the age of 16 and put on works by Luigi Pirandello and Eduardo De Filippo.

He worked initially as a freelance photographer. Then, switching to cinema, he made his debut with Le minoranze etniche in Sicilia (The Ethnic Minorities in Sicily), a collaborative documentary film which won a Salerno Festival prize. He then worked for RAI before releasing his first full-length film, Il Camorrista, in 1985. This evoked a positive response from audience and critics alike and Tornatore was awarded the Silver Ribbon for best new director.

Tornatore's best known screen work was released in 1988: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, a film narrating the life of a successful film director who has returned to his native town in Sicily for the funeral of his mentor. This obtained worldwide success and won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Subsequently Tornatore released several other films. In 2007 he won the Silver George for Best Director at the 29th Moscow International Film Festival for The Unknown Woman.

Personal life

Tornatore describes himself as "one who does not believe and who regrets this". His brother, Francesco Tornatore, is a producer.

Filmography

Written and directed

• 1986: The Professor (Il camorrista)
• 1988: Cinema Paradiso (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso)
• 1990: Everybody's Fine (Stanno tutti bene)
• 1991: Especially on Sunday (segment "Il cane blu")
• 1994: A Pure Formality (Una pura formalità)
• 1995: The Star Maker (L'uomo delle stelle)
• 1995: Lo schermo a tre punte (documentary)
• 1996: Ritratti d'autore: seconda serie (documentary)
• 1998: The Legend of 1900 (La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano)
• 2000: Malèna
• 2006: The Unknown Woman (La sconosciuta)
• 2009: Baarìa
• 2013: The Best Offer
• 2016: The Correspondence

Screenplay only

• Cento giorni a Palermo ("One Hundred Days in Palermo"), directed by Giuseppe Ferrara (1984) - Tornatore is credited under the name Peppuccio Tornatore

[ Source: Wikipedia ]