Ermanno Olmi, ‘Tree of Wooden Clogs’ Director, Dies at 86
Italian director Ermanno Olmi, known for humanist dramas in which he explored spirituality and social themes such as “The Tree of Wooden Clogs,” which won the 1978 Cannes Palme d’Or, has died.
He was 87. Olmi died in a hospital in Asiago, Northern Italy, not far from Bassano del Grappa where since the 1980’s he had been running an innovative film school called Ipotesi Cinema. His wife and children were beside him. The exact cause of death is not know, but Olmi had reportedly been ill for some time.
Olmi, who began his career making short documentaries and often worked with non professional actors, also won the 1988 Venice Golden Lion for his “The Legend of the Holy Drinker,” starring Rutger Hauer. Its based on a book by Austrian author Joseph Roth about a homeless man living under the bridges of Paris. After receiving a small loan by an anonymous stranger, the protagonist is determined to pay back his debt, but circumstances and his alcoholism forever intervene.
His 2001 film “Profession of Arms,” a rigorous account of the final days in the life of Giovanni De Medici, who embraced his role as a soldier with an almost religious devotion, played in competition in Cannes.
More to come…
Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!
