Italian filmmaker Citto Maselli dies at 92

Italian filmmaker Citto Maselli, born Francesco Maselli in Rome on December 9, 1930, has died at age 92. A politically engaged director who began his career working with Luchino Visconti and Michelangelo Antonioni, Maselli was known for films such as 'Gli indifferenti', 'Storia d'amore', and 'Un mondo diverso è possibile'. He joined the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia as a teenager, making his directorial debut at 23 with 'Gli sbandati'. A member of the Italian Communist Party and Rifondazione Comunista, he co-founded the National Association of Film Authors (Anac) and, with Emidio Greco, launched the Giornate degli Autori at the Venice Film Festival in 2004, following his earlier creation of the Giornate del cinema italiano. In 2021, the Venice Film Festival, together with the Giornate degli Autori and the Settimana Internazionale della Critica, paid tribute to him. Biennale President Roberto Cicutto expressed condolences, recalling Maselli's unique ability to foster dialectical conversation. Maselli had a long relationship with writer Goliarda Sapienza before marrying Stefania Brai. His 1970 film 'Lettera aperta a un giornale della sera' is highlighted as a work that captures intellectual debate of the era.