Pioneering director finally gets her Oscar
LOSANGELES— In 1977, Italian filmmaker Lina Wertmuller became the firstwoman to ever be nominated for best director at the Academy Awards. Although she didn’twin that year—“Rocky” director JohnG. Avildsen did— the 91-year-old with the famous white glasses will finally get an Oscar of her own Sunday at the annual Governors Awards.
“This is making me very happy,” Wertmuller said last month through a translator.
Born in Rome in 1928, Wertmuller had beenworking in theater, sketch comedy and puppetry before making her transition into film. A friend fromschool married actor Mar cello Mast roi anni, and he made the fateful introduction to Federico Fellini, whomshe assisted on the set of “8 1⁄2.”
Fellini provided his own crewto helpWertmuller make her first film, “The Lizards,” in 1963.
“Felliniwas like opening a windowand discovering in front of you awonderful landscape which you didn’t knowbefore,” Wertmuller said. “Our relationshipwas much larger, much deeper and much more meaningful than anything I can describe.”
The picture that ultimately caught the attention of the film academywas “Seven Beauties,” about a man with seven unattractive sisters who puts himself on a complicated path duringWorldWar II when he murders a pimp who turned one of his sisters into a sex worker.
Wertmuller, who has continued working and writing to this day, remains only one of fivewomen nominated in Oscar’s directors category, along with Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Kathryn Bigelowand Greta Gerwig. Bigelowis the only one to havewon.
It’s a statistic that came as a surprise toWertmuller. “I didn’t even know,” she said. “I’m obviously very happy and proud and full of admiration, but five is too few. There should be a lot more.”