The Censored Director Who Abandoned Cinema: Adolfo Baruffi's Rediscovery
Adolfo Baruffi (Ferrara, 1926 – Gambassi Terme, 2013) was an Italian filmmaker known for his contributions to neorealism. After his 1957 film "Paternicillina" faced censorship, he stepped away from filmmaking. His career began in journalism with Corriere del Po and Il Quaderno, where he connected with Florestano Vancini and Guido Aristarco. In 1945, he produced the incomplete film "La pianura." Throughout the 1950s, he created neorealist documentaries such as "Camionisti" (1950) and "Accademia militare" (1951). "Paternicillina," filmed in the Ferrara dialect, was retracted due to the requirement for Italian subtitles. Baruffi later wed Brunella Bentivoglio, founded a shoe business, and relocated to Bologna in 1978, then to Gambassi Terme in 1987. Rediscovered in 2020, he is now celebrated as a pioneer of neorealism.
Key facts
- Adolfo Baruffi was born in Ferrara in 1926 and died in Gambassi Terme in 2013.
- He started as a journalist for Corriere del Po and Il Quaderno.
- He met Florestano Vancini and Guido Aristarco through his articles.
- In 1945 he shot the unfinished film La pianura with Antonio Sturla.
- His neorealist documentaries include Uomini della pianura, Pomposa, Alluvione, Camionisti (1950), and Accademia militare (1951).
- He collaborated with Luis Trenker on Il prigioniero della montagna (1955), with screenplay by Giorgio Bassani, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Trenker.
- His feature Paternicillina (1957) was blocked by censorship because it was in Ferrara dialect without Italian subtitles.
- After the censorship, he abandoned cinema, married Brunella Bentivoglio, and started a shoe company.
- He never spoke about his film career, not even to his daughter.
- He was rediscovered in 2020 via Marco Berton Scapinello's documentary Paternicillina: storia di un regista dimenticato.
- Luca Gambelli considers Baruffi among the initiators of Italian neorealism.
- Some of his documentaries are available on YouTube.
Entities
Artists
- Adolfo Baruffi
- Florestano Vancini
- Guido Aristarco
- Antonio Sturla
- Dino Buzzati
- Luis Trenker
- Giorgio Bassani
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Brunella Bentivoglio
- Marco Berton Scapinello
- Luca Gambelli
- Roberto Rossellini
- Vittorio De Sica
- Giuseppe De Santis
Institutions
- Corriere del Po
- Il Quaderno
- AB film, la scarpa della diva
- YouTube
Locations
- Ferrara
- Italy
- Gambassi Terme
- Bologna