Matteo Garrone, class 1968, from Rome, carved a significant place for himself in contemporary cinema. It all started almost 30 years ago, in 1996, when he won the Sacher d’Oro for his short Silhouette, which later became part of his first full-length feature, Terra di Mezzo (Land in Between) in 1997.

Garrone’s filmmaking is often seen through a lens of realism, shedding light on social issues in a visually persuasive way. These characteristics fully emerged in 2008 with Gomorrah, a film that earned him Best Director accolades at the European Film Awards and the David di Donatello Awards among others.