Italian actress Piera Degli Esposti dies at 83

Piera Degli Esposti, the acclaimed Italian actress known for her work in theater, film, and television, died at Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome after being hospitalized in June for lung complications. Born in Bologna on March 12, 1938, she trained in experimental theater groups from 1969 to 1976 at the Teatro Stabile dell'Aquila, working with directors Antonio Calenda and Giancarlo Cobelli. Her television debut came in 1966 with the successful drama Il conte di Montecristo, followed by her film debut in 1967's Trio directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi. She appeared in Pier Paolo Pasolini's Medea and the Taviani brothers' Sotto il segno dello scorpione, and worked with directors such as Scaparro, Guicciardini, Sequi, and Massimo Castri. In 1980, she co-wrote the novel Storia di Piera with Dacia Maraini, which was later adapted into a film by Marco Ferreri. She acted for Nanni Moretti in Sogni d'oro and for Cinzia TH Torrini in Giocare d'azzardo. Marco Ferreri used her screenwriting skills for Il futuro è donna. She was directed by Lina Wertmüller in three films. From the 1990s, she took on more popular projects. She was defined by Eduardo De Filippo as 'o verbo nuovo'. Her friend Dacia Maraini wrote a book about her, Storia di Piera, which became a film. A documentary by Peter Marcias, Tutte le storie di Piera, captures her life. The Italian film community, including Paolo Sorrentino and Riccardo Milani, paid tribute on social media.