Vittorio De Sica

"Master of Italian Neorealism": Vittorio De Sica, born in 1901 in Sora, Italy, flourished as a film director from the 1930s until the late 1970s. Known for his poignant exploration of social issues through the lens of Neorealism, his most renowned films include "Bicycle Thieves", "Umberto D.", and "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis", for which he received various international awards including four Oscars. Characterized by his empathetic portrayal of the human condition, De Sica’s style was marked by the use of non-professional actors and real locations. De Sica, with his profound humanity and keen eye for life's cruel ironies, remains one of cinema's greatest champions of the ordinary man.