his series of highly political films with Ogro (1979), which addresses the occurrence of Basque terrorism at the end of Francisco Franco's dwindling dictatorship in Spain. He continued making short films into the early 1990s and directed a follow-up documentary to The Battle of Algiers entitled Ritorno ad Algeri (Return to Algiers, 1992). In 1992, Pontecorvo replaced Guglielmo Biraghi as the director of the Venice Film Festival and was responsible for the festivals of 1992, 1993 and 1994. In 1991, he was a member of the jury at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. In an interview that Pontecorvo gave in 1991, when asked why he had directed so few movies, his response was that he could only make a movie with which he is totally in love. He also stated that he had rejected many other movies. Death In 2006, he died from congestive heart failure in Rome at age 86. Filmography Feature films Documentary films Short films Giovanna (1957, segment of Die Windrose) Udine (1984, segment of 12 registi per 12 città) Gillo Pontecorvo's Return to Algiers (1992) Danza della fata confetto (1996) Nostalgia di protezione (1997) Further reading Ebert, Roger. Pontecorvo: 'We Trust the Face of Brando' Chicago Sun-Times. (April 13, 1969) References External links Interview with Gillo Pontecorvo at the World Socialist Web Site Edition de « De l'abjection » (1961) par Jacques Rivette, critique du film Kapo (1959) de Pontecorvo, sur le site d'analyse L'oBservatoire (simple appareil). Présentation de La Bataille d'Alger de Gillo Pontecorvo, sur le site d'analyse L'oBservatoire (simple appareil). 1919 births 2006 deaths Italian film directors 20th-century Italian Jews Italian Communist Party politicians 20th-century Italian politicians People from Pisa Jewish socialists Jewish refugees Italian refugees David di Donatello winners Nastro d'Argento winners Directors of Golden Lion winners Exiled Italian politicians Italian film score composers Italian screenwriters International Brigades personnel Italian magazine editors