---
name: "Cesare Zavattini"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/cesare-zavattini"
fi1m_id: "cesare-zavattini"
imdb_id: "nm0953790"
tmdb_id: 12330
wikidata_id: "Q469164"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "20 September 1902"
died: "13 October 1989"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 92
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-25T04:08:26.902134+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Cesare Zavattini

## Identity

Cesare Zavattini

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/cesare-zavattini
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** cesare-zavattini
- **IMDb ID:** nm0953790
- **TMDB ID:** 12330
- **Wikidata ID:** Q469164
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesare_Zavattini, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469164, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0953790/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12330

Writer. Born 20 September 1902 in Luzzara, Italy. Died 13 October 1989.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 20 September 1902, Luzzara, Italy
- **Died:** 13 October 1989
- **Active:** 1948–1952
- **Also known as:** Чезаре Дзаваттини
- **Frequently works with:** [Giuseppe Amato](https://film.one/person/giuseppe-amato.md), [Vittorio De Sica](https://film.one/person/vittorio-de-sica.md)
- **Venice Film Festival:** 1 Venice prize (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 92, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 93 (1), 1950s 91 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesare_Zavattini, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q469164, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0953790/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12330

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Bicycle Thieves*](https://film.one/film/bicycle-thieves.md) (93), [*Umberto D.*](https://film.one/film/umberto-d.md) (91)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Cesare Zavattini was an Italian screenwriter and one of the leading figures in the neorealist movement in Italian cinema. Born on 20 September 1902 in Luzzara, he studied law at the University of Parma before working in journalism and publishing. He began contributing to films in the mid-1930s.

Zavattini maintained a long collaboration with director Vittorio De Sica, writing or co-writing the screenplays for *Shoeshine* (1946), *Bicycle Thieves* (1948), *Miracle in Milan* (1951) and *Umberto D.* (1952). He also wrote for *Two Women* (1960), *Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow* (1963) and other films directed by De Sica and others. He died in Rome on 13 October 1989.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Umberto D.* (1952), Fi1m 91, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/umberto-d.md)
- *Bicycle Thieves* (1948), Fi1m 93, Screenplay, Story — [page](https://film.one/film/bicycle-thieves.md)

## Complete filmography (109)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Hollywood sul Tevere* (2009), Actor
- *A Man and His Dog* (2009), Original Story
- *Activitate psihică nedirijată* (1998), Idea
- *A Walk in the Clouds* (1995), Original Story
- *The Truth* (1982), as Antonio · Writer, Director
- *Los hijos de Sanchez* (1978), Writer
- *The Children of Sanchez* (1978), Writer
- *A Simple Heart* (1977), Writer
- *Babau* (1976), series, Actor
- *A Brief Vacation* (1973), Writer
- *We'll Call Him Andrea* (1972), Screenplay, Story
- *Sunflower* (1970), Screenplay, Story
- *A Place for Lovers* (1968), Screenplay
- *Caprice Italian Style* (1968), Writer
- *The Seven Cervi Brothers* (1968), Screenplay
- *Woman Times Seven* (1967), Screenplay
- *The Witches* (1967), Story, Screenplay
- *The Last Fistful of Land* (1966), as Art Direction
- *After the Fox* (1966), Screenplay
- *A Young World* (1966), Writer
- *We'll Go to the City* (1966), Screenplay
- *Controsesso* (1964), Screenplay
- *Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow* (1963), Screenplay
- *The Boom* (1963), Screenplay, Story
- *I misteri di Roma* (1963), Writer
- *The Condemned of Altona* (1962), Screenplay
- *Arturo's Island* (1962), Screenplay
- *Boccaccio '70* (1962), Idea, Screenplay
- *Latin Lovers* (1961), Screenplay
- *The Last Judgment* (1961), Story, Screenplay
- *La lunga calza verde* (1961), Writer
- *Blood Feud* (1961), Screenplay, Story
- *El joven rebelde* (1961), Writer
- *Two Women* (1960), Screenplay
- *Atomic War Bride* (1960), Writer
- *Lipstick* (1960), Screenplay
- *Chi legge? Viaggio lungo il Tirreno* (1960), series, Writer
- *Nel blu dipinto di blu* (1959), Screenplay
- *Il Pranzo di Natale a casa di Cesare Zavattini* (1958), Actor
- *I sette contadini* (1958), Writer
- *Love and Chatter* (1958), Screenplay, Story
- *The Doll that Took the Town* (1957), Screenplay
- *The Awakening* (1956), Story
- *The Roof* (1956), Story, Screenplay
- *The Sign of Venus* (1955), Screenplay
- *Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves* (1954), Screenplay
- *The Gold of Naples* (1954), Screenplay
- *Angels of Darkness* (1954), Screenplay
- *Love in the City* (1953), Producer, Writer, Co-Director
- *Amore che si paga* (1953), Screenplay
- *We, the Women* (1953), Screenplay, Idea
- *A Husband for Anna* (1953), Story, Screenplay
- *Piovuto dal cielo* (1953), Story, Screenplay
- *Indiscretion of an American Wife* (1953), Story, Screenplay
- *Voice of Silence* (1953), Writer
- *La passeggiata* (1953), Screenplay
- *The Lucky Five* (1952), Screenplay, Story
- *The Overcoat* (1952), Screenplay
- *Rome 11:00* (1952), Story, Screenplay
- *Hello Elephant* (1952), Screenplay, Story
- *Umberto D.* (1952), Screenplay — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/umberto-d.md)
- *Bellissima* (1952), Story
- *Mamma mia, che impressione!* (1951), Screenplay
- *Miracle in Milan* (1951), Story, Novel, Screenplay
- *Twelve Hours to Live* (1950), Story
- *First Communion* (1950), Story, Screenplay
- *The Sky Is Red* (1950), Screenplay
- *Sunday in August* (1950), Screenplay
- *It's Forever Springtime* (1950), Writer
- *La sposa non può attendere* (1949), Story
- *The Walls of Malapaga* (1949), Screenplay
- *Vent'anni* (1949), Screenplay
- *Bicycle Thieves* (1948), Screenplay, Story — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/bicycle-thieves.md)
- *Guerra alla guerra* (1948), Writer
- *Unknown Men of San Marino* (1948), Screenplay, Story
- *Chi è Dio* (1948), Writer
- *Lost in the Dark* (1947), Screenplay
- *Tragic Hunt* (1947), Screenplay
- *Il passatore* (1947), Writer
- *The Great Dawn* (1947), Writer
- *Cronaca nera* (1947), Screenplay
- *Rome: Free City* (1946), Screenplay
- *L'angelo e il diavolo* (1946), Story
- *Canto, ma sottovoce...* (1946), Screenplay
- *Biraghin* (1946), Screenplay
- *Shoeshine* (1946), Story, Screenplay
- *A Day in the Life* (1946), Screenplay, Story
- *The Testimony* (1946), Screenplay
- *Il mondo vuole così* (1946), Story, Screenplay
- *La freccia nel fianco* (1945), Screenplay
- *The Gates of Heaven* (1945), Screenplay
- *The Children Are Watching Us* (1943), Screenplay
- *Silenzio, si gira!* (1943), Screenplay
- *Our Dreams* (1943), Screenplay
- *C'è sempre un ma!* (1943), Screenplay
- *Daddy's Little Devil* (1943), Writer
- *Four Steps in the Clouds* (1942), Story, Screenplay
- *Quarta pagina* (1942), Screenplay
- *There's Room Up Ahead* (1942), Screenplay, Story
- *I sette peccati* (1942), Screenplay
- *La scuola dei timidi* (1941), Screenplay
- *È caduta una donna* (1941), Screenplay
- *San Giovanni decollato* (1940), Screenplay
- *Una famiglia impossibile* (1940), Story, Screenplay
- *Senza cielo* (1940), Screenplay
- *Bionda sottochiave* (1939), Screenplay
- *I'll Give a Million* (1938), Original Film Writer
- *La danza delle lancette* (1936), Screenplay
- *I'll Give a Million* (1935), Writer

## Gallery

- ![Cesare Zavattini (Italiaanse regisseur) 26 oktober 1980](https://film.one/media/person/59963/gallery-666fe0f78f1e.jpg) Cesare Zavattini (Italiaanse regisseur) 26 oktober 1980 — Hans van Dijk for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Cesare_Zavattini_%281980%29.jpg/1280px-Cesare_Zavattini_%281980%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Cesare Zavattini (Italiaanse regisseur) Datum : 26 oktober 1980 Trefwo](https://film.one/media/person/59963/gallery-56105500093c.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Cesare Zavattini (Italiaanse regisseur) Datum : 26 oktober 1980 Trefwo — Hans van Dijk for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Cesare_Zavattini_%28Italiaanse_regisseur%29%2C_Bestanddeelnr_931-1081.jpg/1280px-Cesare_Zavattini_%28Italiaanse_regisseur%29%2C_Bestanddeelnr_931-1081.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Cesare Zavattini (2013)](https://film.one/media/person/59963/gallery-491ae62e2b11.jpg) Cesare Zavattini (2013) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Cesare_Zavattini_1952.jpg/1280px-Cesare_Zavattini_1952.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Cesare Zavattini](https://film.one/media/person/59963/gallery-2e12f4b36f87.jpg) Cesare Zavattini — Paolo Monti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Paolo_Monti_-_Servizio_fotografico_-_BEIC_6341413.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 3 nominated

- 1957: Best Story (nominated), for *Umberto D.*
- 1950: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *Bicycle Thieves*
- 1948: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Shoeshine*

### Venice Film Festival — 1 won

- 1982: Lifetime Achievement (won)

### Other awards — 2 won

- Viareggio-Versilia International Prize 1985: Viareggio-Versilia International Prize (won)
- Nastro d'Argento for Best Screenplay 1949: Nastro d'Argento for Best Screenplay (won), for *Bicycle Thieves*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/cesare-zavattini