简介：ShotinSicily,SardiniaandCalabriaintheFifties,thedocumentarieschroniclealostworld.Theycombinethestrengthofclassicalcinemawithanaustereandpowerfulexpressiveness.Isoledifuoco(Islandoffire,1955),setintheEolieislands,showstheimpressivestrengthofthevolcano.ThedocumentarywasawardedtheFirstPrizeattheCannesFilmFestivalin1955.Aworldwheretheritualdimensionisverystrong,likeinLutempudilipiscispata(Theswordfishseason,1955),onswordfishfishing"inthetepidwaterseparatingSicilyandCalabria".Huntfrenzy,worthyofMobyDick,andthestrugglebetweenmanandnaturearealsopresentinContadinidelmare(Peasantsofthesea,1955),dedicatedtofishingwiththetunny-fishingnetsofftheSiciliancoast,wheremenwaitfortunas,whichhavealwaysfollowedthesameroute:"Whenseatributeappearsinthenet,thecircleoflifeanddeathrepeats".And,atsunset,whenmengobackashoreandchildrendance,solemnwomencarrythefishesontheirheadtothefishmarket(Pescherecci,Fishingboat,1958isonthesametopic).TheconditionsofminersriskingtheirlivesinthebowelsoftheearthtoextracttheconditionsoffarmlabourersscythingandharvestingwheatinhugefieldswithprimitivesystemsinParabolad'oro(Goldenparable,1955)arenotlessdramatic.Then,PasquainSicilia(EasterinSicily,1955)withitssacredfolkloreandtherepresentationofthePassionofChrist.PastoriaOrgosolo(Orgosoloshepherds,1958)andUngiornoinBarbagia(AdayinBarbagia,1958)arethetwodocumentariesshotinSardinia.TheychronicletheisolatedlivesofshepherdsintheveryheartofSardinia,wheremenlivefarawayfromtheirfamiliesmostpartoftheyeartopasturetheflocks. VittorioDeSeta-BorninPalermoin1923fromanaristocraticfamily,hesaidthathe"discovered"theworldofthehumblesduringmilitaryservice.Hedevotedtothemmostofhiscinematographicwork,undertakenafterquittingthefacultyofarchitecture.Awithdrawnandshyauthor,foralongtimeunderestimatedbycritics,hewasoftenpersonallyinvolvedinfilmediting,photographyandmusicalchoices.AfterhisSiciliandocumentaries,in1958heshootsPastoriadOrgosolo(Orgosoloshepherd)andUngiornoinBarbagia(AdayinBarbagia)inSardinia,whichareatthebasisofhisfeaturefilmBanditiadOrgosolo(BanditsofOrgosolo,1961,PrizefortheFirstWorkatVeniceFilmFestival),adetailedin-depthanalysisofanarchaiccivilizationanditsmalaise.In1966hedirectedUnuomoameta(Halfaman)ontheeccentricityofapolitically-committedintellectual,givingrisetoalotofcriticism(MoraviaandPasoliniamongthefewdefendinghim).AfterL'invitata(Theinvitedwoman,1969),hemetaresoundingsuccessin1973withtheTVseriesDiariodiunmaestro(Diaryofaschoolteacher).In1981heleftcinema,buthewasbackin1993withthedirectionofInCalabria,inwhichhereflectedagainonthelostidentityoftheSouthofItaly.In2004hecompletedLetteredalSahara(LettersfromSahara)onanAfricanmigrantinItaly.…