Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio De Sica (1901–1974) was an Italian actor and director, one of the founders of Italian neorealism. A matinee idol on stage and screen before turning to direction, he became known for a collaboration with the screenwriter Cesare Zavattini that produced some of the defining neorealist features — films built around amateur performers, postwar streets, and the small ethical catastrophes of ordinary people. His acclaimed films include Shoeshine, Bicycle Thieves, Miracle in Milan, Umberto D., Two Women, and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis.