ROME, April 07 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Film-maker Luigi Comencini, one of the fathers of the popular comedy genre that marked the golden age of Italian postwar cinema, died on Friday aged 90, officials said.
Comencini, who was also known as the 'children's director' for his films about childhood, worked with some of Italy's most famous actors from Vittorio Gassman to Marcello Mastroianni and Alberto Sordi.
Among his best-known famous films were the 1953 'Pane, Amore e Fantasia' (Bread, Love and Dreams), which starred Gina Lollobrigida as an untamed peasant girl resisting the courtship of a middle-aged police chief, played by Vittorio De Sica.
Rome's mayor Walter Veltroni called Comencini 'a maestro, one of the great and unforgettable directors in the history of cinema.' "Thanks to him, we smiled and laughed about ourselves."
In 1966, Comencini directed 'Incompreso' (Misunderstood), the poignant story of a boy struggling to cope with his mother's death, and in 1972 he made a very personal and hugely popular TV version of Pinocchio.
"More than anything else, we loved his intense and delicate way of looking at the world of children," Veltroni said.
Comencini is survived by his wife and three daughters, two of whom are respected film directors in their own right.
Cristina Comencini had her drama about child abuse 'La bestia nel cuore' (Don't tell) nominated for best foreign film at the 2006 Academy Awards.
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