RIP Alfio Contini

Farewell to Alfio Contini, director of photography for Risi, Antonioni, Cavani, Fulci, Celentano

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By Ivan Zingariello

March 23, 2020

Alfio Contini, director of photography of many films by Dino Risi, Pasquale Festa Campanile, Adriano Celentano, Lucio Fulci, Liliana Cavani, Michelangelo Antonioni, cult films and box office successes is dead

In addition to Lucia Bose, Alfio Contini, the historic director of photography of Dino Risi, Michelangelo Antonioni, Liliana Cavani, Lucio Fulci, Pasquale Festa Campanile and Adriano Celentano, also went away at 92 years of age.

Born in 1927 in Castiglioncello, near Livorno, Alfio Contini began his career as assistant operator and then machine operator. In 1960 he became director of photography, making Sergio Grieco's The Queen of Tartars and Giorgio Bianchi's 10-22 Lieutenant Sheridan Calls, followed by over 100 films, including cult films and box office hits. Seven films with Dino Risi, including Il sorpasso (1962), I mostri (1963) and La wife del prete (1970), six with Lucio Fulci, from Colpo gobbo all'italiana (1962) to I maniaci (1964), even eight with Pasquale Festa Campanile, from La matriarca (1968) to La ragazza di Trieste (1982).

Three films also with Liliana Cavani, including The night porter (1974), while with Michelangelo Antonioni he shot Zabriskie Point (1970) and All Beyond the Clouds (1995) co-directed by Wim Wenders.

Contini also illuminated the films with Adriano Celentano, as many as 8 from Mani di Velluto (1979) to Bingo Bongo (1982), including 3 directed by the "sprung": Yuppi du (1975), Geppo il folle (1978) and Joan Lui - But One Day in the Country I Arrive on Monday (1985). And then again Sodom and Gomorrah (1962) by Robert Aldrich, For Love ... by Magic ... (1967) by Duccio Tessari, God Forgives ... I Don't! (1967) by Giuseppe Colizzi, I girasoli (1970) by Vittorio De Sica, La mortadella (1971) by Mario Monicelli (1971), Le troiane (1971) by Michael Cacoyannis,Renegade (1987) by Enzo Barboni, Francesca and Nunziata (2001) by Lina Wertmüller.

Many divas with whom he worked, from Sophia Loren to Claudia Cardinale up to Katharine Hepburn. In 2012 Contini was told in the book Alfio Contini. Lights and Clolors of Life edited by Gerry Guida, published by Teseo.

CONTINI, Alfio

Born: 9/19/1927, Castiglioncello, Livorno, Italy

Died: 3/23/2020, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Alfio Contini’s westerns – cinematographer, director of photography:

Man from Canyon City – 1965 [cinematographer]

Yankee – 1966 [cinematographer]

God Forgives… I Don’t – 1967 [cinematographer]

They Call Me Renegade – 1987 [director of photography]