**Marco Bellocchio** (Piacenza, 1939) is one of the most influential and controversial Italian filmmakers. He made his debut in 1965 with *Fists in the Pocket*, a groundbreaking work that marked a break with neorealism and a fierce critique of family and bourgeois institutions.

His cinema is characterized by a profound, often tormented psychological exploration of characters on the margins or in conflict with power and conventions. Recurring themes include rebellion, madness, religion, politics, and Italian history, often narrated with an incisive visual style and an atmosphere suspended between reality and the dreamlike.

Among his most significant works are *In the Name of the Father* (1971), a critique of Catholic education; *Good Morning, Night* (2003), on the captivity of Aldo Moro; *Vincere* (2009), about the figures of Ida Dalser and Mussolini; and the multi-award-winning *The Traitor* (2019), a portrait of Tommaso Buscetta. Bellocchio continues to explore the shadows of society and the human psyche, establishing himself as a master of contemporary auteur cinema.