Marco Ferreri
Marco Ferreri (11 May 1928 – 9 May 1997) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, who began his career in the 1950s directing three films in Spain, followed by 24 Italian films before his death in 1997. He is considered one of the greatest European cinematic provocateurs of his time and had a constant presence in prestigious festival circuit - including eight films in competition in Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Bear win in 1991 Berlin Film Festival. Three of his films are among 100 films selected for preservation for their significant contribution to Italian cinema.
Marco Ferreri

Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Marco Ferreri
- Born
- 11 May 1928
- Birthplace
- Milan, Lombardy, Italy
- Died
- 9 May 1997
- Place of death
- Paris, France
- Occupation
- * Director
- Spouse
- Jacqueline Lamothe
- Nationality
- Kingdom of Italy · Italy
- Fields
- satire · black comedy
- Known for
- Don't Touch the White Woman! · La Grande Bouffe · The Flesh · Seeking Asylum · Dillinger Is Dead
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Marco Ferreri (11 May 1928 – 9 May 1997) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, who began his career in the 1950s directing three films in Spain, followed by 24 Italian films before his death in 1997. He is considered one of the greatest European cinematic provocateurs of his time and had a constant presence in prestigious festival circuit - including eight films in competition in Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Bear win in 1991 Berlin Film Festival. Three of his films are among 100 films selected for preservation for their significant contribution to Italian cinema.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Marco Ferreri. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q53018 · wikipedia · Marco Ferreri
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Marco Ferreri • Born — 11 May 1928 • Birthplace — Milan, Lombardy, Italy • Died — 9 May 1997 • Place of death — Paris, France • Occupation — * Director • screenwriter • actor • Spouse — Jacqueline Lamothe • Illustration — Ferreri in 1953
Biography
Biography
He was born in Milan. His best known film is La Grande Bouffe (The Big Feast, 1973) about four successful men who meet in a villa with the purpose to eat themselves to death. It starred Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli, Philippe Noiret and Ugo Tognazzi. He was a socialist and an atheist. He died in Paris of a heart attack. Upon his death, Gilles Jacob, artistic director of the Cannes International Film Festival, said: "The Italian cinema has lost one of its most original artists, one of its most personal authors (...) No one was more demanding nor more allegorical than he in showing the state of crisis of contemporary man."
Director
Director
• El pisito (1958) • Los chicos (1959) • El cochecito (1960) • Una storia moderna: l’ape regina (The Conjugal Bed, 1963) • La donna scimmia (The Ape Woman, 1964) • L'uomo dei cinque palloni (1965) • L'Harem (1967) • The Seed of Man (1969) • Dillinger è morto (Dillinger Is Dead, 1969) • The Audience (1972) • Liza (in French; Italian version title La cagna, 1972) • La Grande Bouffe (in French and Italian; Italian dubbed version title La grande abbuffata, 1973) • Touche pas à la femme blanche (in French; Italian dubbed version title Non toccare la donna bianca, released in English as Don't Touch The White Woman!, 1974) • La Dernière femme (in French; Italian dubbed version title L'ultima donna, international version title The Last Woman, 1976) • Ciao maschio (in Italian and French, French dubbed version title Rêve du singe, English version title Bye Bye Monkey, 1978) • Chiedo asilo (1979) (English dubbed version title Seeking Asylum, 1980) • Tales of Ordinary Madness (in English; Italian dubbed version title Storie di ordinaria follia, 1981) • Storia di Piera (The Story of Piera, 1983) • Il futuro è donna (The Future Is Woman, 1984) • I Love You (1986) • Ya bon les blancs (Italian dubbed version title Come sono buoni i bianchi!, 1988) • La banquette (Italian title: Il banchetto di Platone, 1989) • La casa del sorriso (The House of Smiles, 1991) • La carne (also screenwriter) (1991) • Diario di un vizio (Diary of a Maniac, 1993) • Faictz ce que vouldras (1994) • Nitrato d'argento (1996)
Actor
Actor
• The Beach (1954) • Women and Soldiers (1954) • Casanova 70 (1967) • The Seventh Floor (1967) • Pigsty (1969) • So Long Gulliver (1970) • Non toccare la donna bianca (1973) • An Almost Perfect Affair (1979) (uncredited)

Une jeune femme blonde aux cheveux mouillés, dénudée et assise dans la mer, de trois quart face tournée vers sa droite, regard en face et souriante, tient contre elle, un jeune chien mouillé se tenant debout, regardant dans la même direction.
Anonyme. Collection Fratelli Alinari, Italie.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1928
Marco Ferreri was born in 1928.
1997
Marco Ferreri died at Paris.
Screenwriter
• Mafioso (1962) • Dillinger Is Dead (Dillinger è morto, 1969) • Non toccare la donna bianca (1973) • Ciao maschio (1977) • Chiedo asilo (1980) • Storia di Piera (1983) • Il futuro è donna (1984) • I Love You (1985)
Where the work is held
Recognition and collections
Marco Ferreri received Golden Bear, FIPRESCI Prize of the Festival de Cannes, David di Donatello for Best Director, David di Donatello for Best Script, Nastro d'Argento for the director of the best film and Nastro d'Argento for Best Subject.
Awards
His 1979 film Chiedo asilo (starring Roberto Benigni) won him the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1991, his film La casa del sorriso won the Golden Bear at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. Two years later, his film Diario di un vizio was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Work and production. Works recorded as notable number 5: Don't Touch the White Woman!, La Grande Bouffe, The Flesh, Seeking Asylum and Dillinger Is Dead. His recorded genres are satire and black comedy.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,515 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Marco de GastynePerson
- Marco Di TilloPerson
- Marco DutraPerson
- Marco Enríquez-OminamiPerson
- Marco GialliniPerson
- Marco GiustiPerson
- Marco HofschneiderPerson
- Marco KreuzpaintnerPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Marco Ferreri?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.