Sandro Petraglia

Biography

Sandro Petraglia is an Italian screenwriter, born on 19 April 1947. His work has centred on writing for film, and his name is attached to several of the most recognised Italian titles of recent decades.

He started out in the early 1970s as a film critic, contributing to Ombre rosse, a magazine inspired by the spirit of May 1968. It was during this period that he first met Stefano Rulli, who would become his frequent writing partner. Their partnership became one of the defining features of his career and shaped a considerable part of his filmography.

His films cover a wide range, from historical and period dramas to political thrillers and stories about everyday Italian life. Among his best-known credits are La tregua, Il ladro di bambini, La scuola and Suburra, and he has a long list of notable films to his name.

His legacy rests on that steady continuity: a substantial body of work closely tied to Italian cinema, in which screenwriting is the central thread.

Key films

• Il ladro di bambini (1992), directed by Gianni Amelio, a drama about a boy and a carabiniere travelling across Italy.
• The Truce (1997), an adaptation of Primo Levi's memoir directed by Francesco Rosi.
• The Best of Youth (2003), a sweeping family saga...