Giuseppe Rotunno Dies: Oscar Nominated Italian Cinematographer Was 97

Giuseppe Rotunno, the cinematographer highly regarded for his collaborations with Federico Fellini, has died at the age of 97. Italian news agency ANSA reported that he passed away at his home in Rome yesterday, February 7.

Rotunno and Fellini combined on eight films, beginning with Satyricon and encompassing Roma, Amarcord and Casanova. The cinematographer worked with a range of directors, including Italian legends Vittorio De Sica and Luchino Visconti, and also made his mark in the U.S., such as on Bob Fosse’s 1979 musical drama All That Jazz, which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes and was nominated for nine Oscars including cinematography, and on Terry Gilliam’s boundary-pushing The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen.

Born in 1923, Rottuno began his career as a still photographer before being employed as a cameraman with the Italian army. He moved into films as a cinematography assistant in the 1940s and worked consistently all the way through the 1990s. In later life he taught the DoP course at the National Film School of Italy.

In 1966, Rotunno became the first non-American member admitted to the American Society of Cinematographers.

He leaves behind a wife, three daughters and seven grandchildren.