Luca Guadagnino
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Luca Guadagnino

Luca Guadagnino is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter born in Palermo on August 10, 1971, to a Sicilian father and an Algerian mother. After spending his early childhood in Ethiopia, his family returned to Palermo in 1977, and he later studied literature and cinema history at the Sapienza University of Rome. He began his career directing short films and documentaries, making his feature-film debut with The Protagonists (1999), the first of many collaborations with actress Tilda Swinton, followed by Melissa P. (2005). He achieved international acclaim with his "Desire Trilogy," consisting of I Am Love (2009), A Bigger Splash (2015), and the Oscar-nominated Call Me by Your Name (2017), the latter of which brought him widespread recognition. Known for his films' emotional complexity, eroticism, and lavish visuals, he has since directed the horror remake Suspiria (2018), the HBO series We Are Who We Are (2020), the romantic horror Bones and All (2022)—for which he won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival—and the sports drama Challengers (2024). In addition to his narrative work, he has directed documentaries like Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams (2020) and has been involved in the fashion world, directing advertisements for brands like Fendi.

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