Born in Bologna , Zagni attended the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bologna , then collaborated with '' L'avvenire d'Italia '' and other newspapers and magazines . From 1951 to 1954 he was assistant director of Luchino Visconti in several stage works and in the film '' Senso '' ; in the film set he knew the actress Alida Valli with whom he started a sixteen years long relationship . During this period he left Italy , first moving in New York , where he attended the Actors Studio , and then in Mexico , where he directed some stage plays and became the founder and a professor of the School of Autonomous Cinema National at the University of Mexico . Returned to Italy in 1961 , Zagni made his directorial debut with the film '' La bellezza di Ippolita '' , an adaption of the novel with the same name written by Elio Bartolini , with which he represented Italy at the 12th Berlin International Film Festival . In 1966 he entered the Venice Film Festival with the comedy film '' Blockhead '' , which won the " Leone di San Marco Plate " . With this film he made his retirement from filmmaking but not from cinema industry , with a new career as producer and distributor as a manager of the company Italnoleggio
12th Berlin International Film Festival
12th Berlin International Film Festival
Giancarlo Zagni