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| Richard Peña on the Taviani brothers who won the Palme d’Or for Padre Padrone: "Vittorio's passing is a terrible loss for his family, friends and for the cinema, but we can comfort ourselves knowing how much great cinema he and Paolo have given us." |
Vittorio Taviani died in Rome at the age of 88 on April 15. He together with his brother Paolo directed more than 20 films over five decades, winning the Palme d’Or in 1977 for Padre Padrone. The Taviani brothers had seven films screened in the New York Film Festival, Padre Padrone, The Night Of The Shooting Stars (La Notte Di San Lorenzo), Night Sun (Il Sole Anche Di Notte), Chaos (Kaos), Fiorile, You Laugh (Tu Ridi), and Caesar Must Die (Cesare Deve Morire) in 2012.
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| Vittorio and Paolo Taviani's Chaos (Kaos) closed the New York Film Festival in 1985 |
The former New York Film Festival Director of Programming and Selection Committee Chair Richard Peña, who stepped down in 2012 after 25 years at the Film Society of Lincoln Center sent the following tribute:
"Of the many guests to the New York Film Festival over the years, none were more welcome than Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. They were always warm and outgoing, making a point to meet other filmmakers and see their work. I had the pleasure of spending some time with them in Italy, and their hospitality was legendary. Together, they were an incomparable team, with Paolo the more assertive and Vittorio the more ironic. Vittorio's passing is a terrible loss for his family, friends and for the cinema, but we can comfort ourselves knowing how much great cinema he and Paolo have given us." - Richard Peña, Director Emeritus, New York Film Festival.
