Pupi Avati - Works

Works

He started his career in the movies with two grotesque comical horror movies with surreal plots. The first was Balsamus, l'uomo di Satana (Blood Relations - "The Man of Satan") in 1968, one of the few films where the screenplay was not written by Avati. This film was followed a year later by Thomas e gli indemoniati (Thomas and the Bewitched, 1969), but it was never released in Italy.

In 1974, Avati made the bizarre La mazurka del barone, della santa e del fico fiorone (The Mazurka of the Baron, the Saint and the Early Fig Tree), a movie with an almost fairy-tale-like atmosphere in a style reminiscent of the movies of Federico Fellini. In 1975, his musical fantasy, Bordella (House of Pleasure for Women), caused a commotion resulting in some censorship.

In 1976, Avati directed the horror film, La casa dalle finestre che ridono ("House of Laughing Windows"), set in the Po Valley in Emilia–Romagna, which was appreciated by lovers of this genre. This movie was followed by Tutti defunti... tranne i morti (1977), a black comedy with a similar theme but written in a parodistic and farcical way.

Avati also directed several films and series for television. The previously mentioned Jazz Band was broadcasted on RAI TV in 1978, followed by Cinema!!! in 1979, Dancing Paradise in 1982, Accadde a Bologna in 1983, and È proibito ballare in 1989.

In 1980, he wrote the screenplay for Macabro (Frozen Terror, or Macabre), the first movie directed by Lamberto Bava. This film was also produced by Avati.

In 1983, Avati directed the comedy, Una gita scolastica (A School Outing), and then another thriller-horror, Zeder, which was considered one of his best films in the genre. After Impiegati (1984), he made Regalo di Natale (Christmas Present, 1986), starring Diego Abatantuono in his first dramatic role. The sequel of this film was released in 2004 and titled Rivincita di Natale (Christmas Rematch).

His career continued in 1989 with Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze (The Story of Boys and Girls), which awarded him the Nastro d'Argento for Best Director and Script in 1990. Following that, he made the biopic, Bix in 1991, Magnificat in 1993, the thriller L'amico d'infanzia (The Childhood Friend) in 1994, and the horror L'arcano incantatore (The Mysterious Enchanter} in 1996 with Stefano Dionisi.

In 1995, he wrote the screenplay of the RAI TV miniseries, Voci notturne, directed by Fabrizio Laurenti.

In 1998, Avati filmed Il testimone dello sposo (The Best Man), followed by La via degli angeli (A Midsummer Night's Dance) in 1999 and I cavalieri che fecero l'impresa (The Knights of the Quest) in 2001. Two years later he directed the sentimental comedy Il cuore altrove (The Heart Is Elsewhere) with Neri Marcorè and Vanessa Incontrada in the role of a young blind woman. The film was nominated for a Golden Palm at Cannes Film Festival, and he received the David di Donatello Award for the Best Director.

In 2005, he directed Vittoria Puccini, Paolo Briguglia, and Claudio Santamaria in the romantic comedy Ma quando arrivano le ragazze?. In the same year he directed Antonio Albanese, Katia Ricciarelli, and again Neri Marcorè in La seconda notte di nozze. In 2007, Diego Abatantuono, Francesca Neri, Ines Sastre, Vanessa Incontrada, and Violante Placido acted in Avati's film, La cena per farli conoscere, while Laura Morante acted as an Italian woman who takes over a disturbing building in Davenport, Iowa, in the horror, Il nascondiglio (The Hideout).

In 2008, Avati directed Il papà di Giovanna (Giovanna's Father), followed by Gli amici del bar Margherita (The Friends at Margherita Café) in 2009. Next, he directed Il figlio più piccolo ("The Youngest Son") in 2010 and Una sconfinata giovinezza ("A Boundless Youth") in 2011.