Carlo Di Palma (17 April 19259 July 2004) was an Italian cinematographer and film director, renowned for his work with directors Michelangelo Antonioni and Woody Allen. The Lincoln Center described him as "among the most lauded and influential of cinematographers."
Early life Di Palma was born into a poor Roman family; his mother was a flower seller on the Spanish Steps, while his father was a camera operator for a number of Italian film studios.
In an interview shortly before his death, Di Palma recounted his childhood memories of observing his father in action: "I'd run to the studio or the location, and watch my father work. I was fascinated by the whole experience. I would stand on a crate sometimes and watch. All of the people that were on the location were pleasant to me. I was very quiet and observant, so with that they let me stay on set. I would watch many different directors over and over."
Career Aside from his career as a cinematographer, Di Palma was also a little-known film director.
In 2002, Di Palma was hired to shoot Woody Allen's film Anything Else (2003), and actually started location scouting before failing an insurance physical, which was required for all key personnel on the crew. Because of that, Darius Khondji replaced Di Palma, to his great disappointment, as he had been eager to work again after having been on the sidelines for the past six years.
Personal life Di Palma moved to the United States in 1983.
Around the same time, he married Adriana Chiesa, an exporter of Italian films. She nursed him through his final years.
Filmography Cinematographer Film Year Title Director Notes 1957 Fabio De Agostini 1960 The Employee Gianni Puccini Long Night in 1943 Florestano Vancini Gian Luigi Polidoro1961 The Assassin Elio Petri Tiro al piccione Giuliano Montaldo Divorce Italian Style Pietro Germi With Leonida Barboni Leoni al soleVittorio Caprioli1962 Paris, My Love Terrible Sheriff Alberto De MartinoAntonio Momplet With Dario Di Palma and Ricardo Torres 1963 Omicron Ugo Gregoretti 1964 Liolà Alessandro Blasetti With Leonida Barboni and Tonino Delli Colli Red Desert Michelangelo Antonioni The Naked Hours Marco Vicario 1965 Terror-Creatures from the Grave Massimo Pupillo1966 For Love and Gold Mario Monicelli A Question of Honour Luigi Zampa With Luciano Trasatti Blowup Michelangelo Antonioni1967 I Married You for Fun Luciano Salce On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who... Pasquale Festa Campanile 1968 The Girl with the Pistol Mario Monicelli1969 The Scarlet Lady Jean Valère The Appointment Sidney Lumet Help Me, My Love Alberto Sordi1970 The Pizza Triangle Ettore Scola Ninì Tirabusciò, la donna che inventò la mossa Marcello Fondato The Pacifist Miklós Jancsó1971 La supertestimone Franco Giraldi That's How We Women Are Dino Risi 1972 Gli ordini sono ordini Franco Giraldi 1979 Together? Armenia Balducci 1981 Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man Bernardo Bertolucci 1982 Identification of a Woman Michelangelo Antonioni1983 The Black Stallion Returns Robert Dalva Gabriela Bruno Barreto1986 Hannah and Her Sisters Woody Allen Off Beat Michael Dinner1987 Radio Days Woody Allen The Secret of My Success Herbert Ross SeptemberWoody Allen 1990 Alice 1991 Shadows and Fog 1992 Husbands and Wives 1993 Manhattan Murder Mystery1994 Bullets Over Broadway The Monster Roberto Benigni 1995 Mighty AphroditeWoody Allen 1996 Everyone Says I Love You 1997 Deconstructing Harry
Short film Year Title Director Notes 1963 Le lièvre et la tortue Alessandro Blasetti Segment of Three Fables of Love 1965 Il provino Michelangelo Antonioni Segment of The Three Faces 1966 Fata Sabina Luciano Salce Segment of Sex Quartet 1970 Il frigorifero Mario Monicelli Segment of Man and Wife 1989 Roma Michelangelo Antonioni Segment of
Television Year Title Director Notes 1981 Great Performances Jean-Pierre Ponnelle Episode "La clemenza di Tito" 1983 Ritorno a Lisca Bianca Michelangelo Antonioni TV documentary short 1994 Don't Drink the Water Woody Allen TV movie
Director Teresa the Thief (1973) Blonde in Black Leather (1975) (Also writer) Mimì Bluette... fiore del mio giardino (1976) (1984) (Documentary film)
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Result 1965Silver RibbonBest Cinematography Il deserto rosso 1967 For Love and Gold 1993 Shadows and Fog 1997 Mighty Aphrodite 1966 BAFTA Awards Best Cinematography - Colour Blowup 1982 David di Donatello Best Cinematography Identification of a Woman 2003 European Film AwardsOutstanding European Achievement in World Cinema
References
External links
Carlo Di Palma interview, by Nicholas Pasquariello in April, 1974