Marco Bellocchio

Italian film director of short subjects and documentaries prior to an auspicious debut feature in 1965, "First in His Pocket." The film was an award winner that established him as a major talent in the Italian cinema. At the 1967 Venice Festival, Bellocchio won both the Special Jury Prize and the International Critics Prize for his film, "China Is Near." He was less successful with subsequent films, which were, at times, tainted with an overdose of leftist ideology. His film, "Leap Into Void," resulted in the awards to his stars as Best Actor and Best Actress at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.