Respected critic, producer, and author Vieri Razzini, who also co-founded renowned Italian distribution company Teodora Film, passed away in Rome. He was 82.
Razzini, who was born in Florence in 1940, championed the development of Italian film culture.
He began his career as a scriptwriter and film critic, and for many years he oversaw Rai Tre’s classic movie program.
He co-founded Teodora Film, an Italian arthouse distribution company, in 2000 with his husband Cesare Petrillo, who survived him.
This was his most well-known international accomplishment. With a particular emphasis on LGBTQI films and female directors, it was innovative for its time.
With past releases that included Oscar winners like Susanne Bier’s In A Better World, Michael Haneke’s Amour, and László Nemes’s Son Of Saul as well as cult favorites like Sam Garbarski’s Irina Palm, Celine Sciamma’s Tom Boy, and Matthew Warchus’s Pride, the company would become a go-to source for top auteur titles in Italy.
Although Razzini was no longer actively involved in running the label, he was nonetheless a partner at the time of his passing.
CEO Stefano Finesi and partners Gianluca Buttari and Daniela Graziano now make up the core management group.
