Roberto Rossellini

Roberto Rossellini, born in Rome, helped forge the cinematic style known as Italian neorealism. His films, such as Rome, Open City and Paisan, often used non-professional actors and on-location shooting, capturing the raw, unvarnished realities of a nation rebuilding itself after the devastation of World War II. It was a groundbreaking approach, inspiring generations of filmmakers who dared to point their cameras at the truth, however grim.

While his contributions to cinema are undeniable, leading to critical acclaim and numerous awards, his personal life was as dramatic as his films, marked by high-profile relationships, most notably with Ingrid Bergman. Their affair and subsequent marriage caused a scandal in the prudish 1950s, leading to Bergman being denounced on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Rossellini, of course, remained merely an Italian director.

Despite the moral outrage, their collaboration produced several memorable films. And while Rossellini’s legacy as a director is secure, there is absolutely no indication that his artistic vision or Roman origins were ever touched by even a whisper of the Tribe.