'Life Is Beautiful' cinematographer dies

Italian cinematographer, Tonino Delli Colli, passes away

Aug 19 2005

Tonino Delli Colli, one of Italy's most prolific and renowned cinematographers, has died at the age of 81.

Delli Colli was director of photographer on over 130 movies between in a career spanning 53 years; shooting some of the finest films of the 20th century, including Italy's first colour film, 'Toto a Colori' (1952).

Some of his finest work was on director Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, such as 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' and 'Once Upon a Time in the West', but also collaborated with the likes of Federico Fellini and Roman Polanski.

It was not until hitting another career-high with the Oscar-winning 'Life is Beautiful' in 1997 that Delli Colli retired from filmmaking.

He once said of his art, "You must know the sun and the seas, the colours and the contrasts, and we Italians are masters at this."

Delli Colli was found by his niece, Laura, at his home and was buried this morning at Santa Maria deil Miracoli in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo.

"He was one of those people who loved the set; the set was his real family," she of her uncle.

The filmmaker is survived by his son Stefano.