Giuseppe De Santis (1917-1997) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and film critic, and one of the leading exponents of Neorealism. After debuting as a critic for the magazine *Cinema*, he directed his first feature film, *Caccia tragica* (1947). International success came with his masterpiece *Riso amaro* (1949), a work that blended social commentary and melodrama, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay and launching the icon Silvana Mangano. His filmography is characterized by a strong focus on social issues and the condition of the lower classes, as seen in *Non c'è pace tra gli ulivi* (1950) and *Roma ore 11* (1952). Among his numerous accolades, he received the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián Film Festival for *Giorni d'amore* (1954) and another Academy Award nomination for *La strada lunga un anno* (1958). In 1995, he was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival, in recognition of his fundamental contribution to the history of cinema.