Italian filmmaker Ugo Gregoretti dies at 88

Ugo Gregoretti, the Italian filmmaker, actor, and journalist, died on July 5, 2019, at his home in Rome at age 88. Born in Rome on September 28, 1930, he began his career in television in the 1960s. He is best known for the 1990s program "Sottotraccia," which he hosted and directed, exploring hidden Italy with an ethnographic approach. Gregoretti described the show as "anthropological agritourism," seeking out "funny Italians" in their natural habitats. He distinguished his work from private TV by citing "Quark" over "Maurizio Costanzo Show." His television work included parodies like "Romanzo Popolare italiano" and design lectures that won a Compasso d'Oro in 2001. His film career included "I nuovi angeli" (1960s youth), "Maggio musicale" (1990), and "Omicron" (1963). He felt his TV work hindered his film career, as he stated at the 2014 Bifest. He planned a low-budget film "La storia sono io," based on his autobiography "Finale aperto" (2006). Gregoretti also directed the Teatro Stabile di Torino (1985–1989), worked as an opera director, led the Benevento Città Spettacolo festival, and acted in films like "La Terrazza" by Ettore Scola.