Ermanno Olmi

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Ermanno Olmi (born July 24, 1931) is a noted Italian film director.

[edit] Biography

Olmi was born in Treviglio, province of Bergamo, Lombardy.

Olmi's films fit snuggly in to the artistic mold of Italian neorealism, though Olmi would argue (and does argue, in an interview found on the Criterion Edition DVD of his 1961 film, Il Posto) that this is the artistic tradition he is responding against. Olmi's films, like most of those considered to be products of the neorealist movement, feature non-actors performing in authentic locations, are shot in long, slow takes, and generally contain some sort of social commentary, though rarely do the neorealists wear their political opinions on their sleeves. Perhaps his most important film is The Tree of Wooden Clogs (L'Albero degli zoccoli), which was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1979.