Abel Ferrara | |
|---|---|
 Abel Ferrara at the2017 Cannes Film Festival | |
| Born | (1951-07-19)July 19, 1951 (age 73) The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1971–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Abel Ferrara (Italian:[ferˈraːra]; born July 19, 1951)[1] is an American filmmaker. He is best known for the provocative and often controversial content in his movies and his use and redefinition ofneo-noir imagery. A long-time independent filmmaker, some of his best known movies include theNew York-set, gritty crime thrillersThe Driller Killer (1979),Ms .45 (1981),King of New York (1990),Bad Lieutenant (1992), andThe Funeral (1996), chronicling violent crime in urban settings with spiritual overtones.
Ferrara also worked in a wide array of genres, including the sci-fi remakeBody Snatchers (1993),cyberpunk thrillerNew Rose Hotel (1998), the religious dramaMary (2005), the black comedyGo Go Tales (2007), and the biopicPasolini (2014), as well as in severaldocumentary filmmaking projects.
Ferrara was born inthe Bronx ofItalian andIrish descent.[2] He was raisedCatholic, which influenced much of his work.[3] At 8 years old, he moved toPeekskill inWestchester County, New York and he started making movies atRockland Community College.[4] Later, he attended the film conservatory atSUNY Purchase, where he directed severalshort films.[5]
Ferrara studied at theSan Francisco Art Institute; one of his teachers and influences there was the famousavant-garde directorRosa von Praunheim.[6] In the early 1970s, while still in art school, Ferrara directed a number of independently produced short films which includedThe Hold Up andCould This Be Love. Finding himself out of work after leaving film school in 1976, Ferrara directed his first feature film which was apornographic film titled,9 Lives of a Wet Pussy, using a pseudonym.[7] Starring with his then-girlfriend, he recalled having to step in front of the camera for one scene to perform in a hardcore sex scene: "It's bad enough paying a guy $200 to fuck your girlfriend, then he can't get it up."[8]
Ferrara first drew acult following with his second feature film, anexploitation movie titledThe Driller Killer (1979), an urbanslasher film about an artist (played by the director himself) who goes on a killing spree with apower drill. In the United Kingdom, the movie made it on a list of"video nasties" created by moral crusaders that led to prosecutions under theObscene Publications Act 1959 and to the passing ofnew legislation which forced all video releases to appear before theBritish Board of Film Classification for rating.[9]
The director's next feature wasMs .45 (1981), a "rape revenge" movie about a mute garment worker turned murderer (Zoë Tamerlis). Reviewers called it "a provocative, disreputable movie, well worth seeing".[10]
In 1984, Ferrara was hired to directFear City, starringMelanie Griffith,Billy Dee Williams,Rae Dawn Chong andMaría Conchita Alonso. When a "kung fu slasher" stalks and murders young women who work in a seedyTimes Squarestrip club, a disgraced boxer portrayed byTom Berenger uses his fighting skills to defeat the killer.[11]
Ferrara worked on twoMichael Mann-produced television series, directing the two-hour pilot forCrime Story (aired September 18, 1986), starringDennis Farina,[12] and two episodes of the seriesMiami Vice.[13]
King of New York (1990) starsChristopher Walken as gangster Frank White,Laurence Fishburne,Wesley Snipes,David Caruso andGiancarlo Esposito. The movie received overall mixed reviews, but Ferrara was praised for his strong command of mood and style. CriticRoger Ebert wrote, "What Ferrara needs for his next film is a sound screenplay."[14]
Bad Lieutenant (1992) credits Ferrara and actressZoë Tamerlis, who plays the woman who helps the Lieutenantfreebaseheroin in the movie, as co-writers of the script, but Tamerlis claimed that she wrote it alone.[15][16]Bad Lieutenant receivedSpirit Awards nominations for Best Director and Best Actor, and despite its controversial content, the movie was lauded by critics. DirectorMartin Scorsese named it one of his top 10 films of the 1990s.[17]
In 1993, Ferrara was hired for two Hollywood studio movies: another remake ofInvasion of the Body Snatchers, titledBody Snatchers (1993), forWarner Bros.; andDangerous Game (1993), starringKeitel andMadonna, forMGM.
In the mid-1990s Ferrara directed two well-received independent movies:The Addiction (1995),[18] photographed in black-and-white, starsLili Taylor as a philosophy student who succumbs to avampire as she studies the problem of evil and philosophicalpedagogy, represented by the most violent events of the 20th century. The movie also featuresChristopher Walken,Annabella Sciorra,Edie Falco,Kathryn Erbe andMichael Imperioli. It was co-produced byRussell Simmons.
The Funeral (1996),[19] starring Walken, Sciorra,Chris Penn,Isabella Rossellini,Benicio del Toro,Vincent Gallo andGretchen Mol, was nominated for fiveIndependent Spirit Awards includingBest Director.
Following the success ofThe Funeral, Ferrara had an infamous interview withConan O'Brien on October 23, 1996. Ferrara was believed to be intoxicated and struggled through the interview, often slurring and covering his face as well as waving around a cigarette. O'Brien would later state that Ferrara was his "worst guest ever".[20] Eventually, O'Brien revealed to Ferrara's frequent collaboratorWillem Dafoe that Ferrara "ran away" and that the segment producer had to "run down the street" to catch him and bring him back to the set. Dafoe said to O'Brien, "You did your best … and so did he!"
After makingThe Blackout (1997) withMatthew Modine andDennis Hopper, he contributed to theomnibus television movieSubway Stories. Ferrara then madeNew Rose Hotel (1998), which reunited him with Christopher Walken.
Ferrara returned three years later with'R Xmas (2001), which starredDrea de Matteo andIce-T. He recorded commentaries forDriller Killer[21] andKing of New York[22] and madeMary (2005), a religious-themed multi-plot movie starringJuliette Binoche,Matthew Modine,Forest Whitaker,Heather Graham,Marion Cotillard, andStefania Rocca.Mary premiered at theVenice Film Festival in 2005. It swept the awards ceremony, garnering the Grand Jury Prize, SIGNIS Award and two others. It was shown at theToronto International Film Festival.[23]
In 2007, Ferrara directedGo Go Tales a comedy with Modine,Bob Hoskins andWillem Dafoe that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival but was not shown in the United States until a special screening at theAnthology Film Archives in 2011.[24]
In 2009,Jekyll and Hyde was set to star Forest Whitaker and50 Cent. After disagreements with Warner Bros., the movie was shelved in 2010.[8]
In 2009,Napoli, Napoli, Napoli premiered out of competition at the66th Venice International Film Festival.[25] The docudrama received little attention and poor reviews butWerner Herzog's rebootBad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans was selected for competition at the prestigious festival. Asked about the Herzog film, Ferrara was quoted widely saying "I wish these people die in hell".[26]
In September 2011,4:44 Last Day on Earth, starringWillem Dafoe and Shanyn Leigh, premiered at the main competition of the68th Venice International Film Festival.[27]
Ferrara'sWelcome to New York, a fictionalized version of theDominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case starringGérard Depardieu andJacqueline Bisset, was released onvideo on demand in 2014.[28][29] Ferrara'sPasolini (2014) about the titularItalian director starsWillem Dafoe.[30]
After a 4-year long hiatus, Ferrara came back in 2019 withTommaso, a new feature starring Dafoe and set in Rome. The film had its world premiere at the72nd Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2019. It was released in the United States byKino Lorber.
The following year, withSiberia (2020), Ferrara and Dafoe collaborated for the sixth time. Inspired byCarl Jung'sThe Red Book, the script was written by Ferrara andChris Zois.[31][32] The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the70th Berlin International Film Festival, on 24 February 2020. It was released in the United States byLionsgate in 2021. Shortly after Ferrara directed the documentarySportin' Life, about the beginning ofquarantine measures inEurope a few days after theBerlinale premiere ofSiberia, during the start of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[33] The documentary had its world premiere at the77th Venice Film Festival on 4 September 2020.
Since 2020 he has interpretedGabriele Tinti's poetry giving voice to the masterpieces in theGalleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica,Pinacoteca di Brera,Museo Nazionale di San Marco,Ca' d'Oro,Musée Jacquemart-André andMuseo Nazionale Romano[34][35]
In August 2021,Zeros and Ones, starringEthan Hawke, had its world premiere at the main competition of the74th Locarno Film Festival, during the festival Ferrara won theBest Direction Award.[36] The film was released in limited theaters and on demand byLionsgate on November 19, 2021.
In 2022, Ferrara'sPadre Pio, starringShia LaBeouf andAsia Argento, premiered at the "Giornate degli Autori" section of the79th Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2022. The film was released in theUnited States byGravitas Ventures on June 2, 2023. During the film's production, LeBeouf notably converted toCatholicism.
Ferrara is married to Cristina Chiriac and they have a daughter, Anna.[37][38] He was previously married to Nancy Ferrara.[39] Ferrara has two adopted children: Endira and Lucy.[40][41] He was also in a romantic relationship with actress Shanyn Leigh.[42][43]
Ferrara lives in Rome, Italy.[44] He moved there following the9/11 attacks because it was easier for him to find financing for his movies in Europe.[45]
Raised Catholic, Ferrara started describing himself as Buddhist in 2007.[46] When asked if he had converted, Ferrara responded,
It’s not a conversion, you’re not a card-carrying Catholic, you’re brought up Italian, so you’re brought up with those images. All the great art is financed by the Church so they have a monopoly on the paintings, and they’re powerful images, the whole nine yards of it. But Jesus was a living man, and so were Buddha and Muhammad. These three guys changed the fucking world, with their passion and love of other human beings. All these guys had was their word, and they came from fucking nowhere. I’m not saying Nazareth is nowhere – I’m sure Jesus came from a very cool neighbourhood.
— Abel Ferrara[47]
Ferrara said in 2020 that Buddhism "is a practice for me, not a religion".[48] In 2022, he stated he consideredPadre Pio his "spirituality model".[49]
Influences on Ferrara's work include "theStones andDylan …DaVinci,Stanley Kubrick,Woody Allen and all of the great New York film makers".[50] He has also creditedPier Paolo Pasolini andRainer Werner Fassbinder as influences.[51][52][53]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Nicky's Film | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1972 | The Hold Up | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1973 | Could It Be Love | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2010 | 42 One Dream Rush | Yes | Segment "Dream Piece" | ||
| 2012 | No Saints | Yes | |||
| My Big-Assed Mother | Yes | Role: Charles Bukowski | |||
| 2017 | Hans | Yes | Yes |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy | Yes | Pornographic film Credited as Jimmy Boy L. | |
| 1979 | The Driller Killer | Yes | ||
| 1981 | Ms .45 | Yes | ||
| 1984 | Fear City | Yes | ||
| 1987 | China Girl | Yes | ||
| 1989 | Cat Chaser | Yes | ||
| 1990 | King of New York | Yes | ||
| 1992 | Bad Lieutenant | Yes | Yes | |
| 1993 | Body Snatchers | Yes | ||
| Dangerous Game | Yes | |||
| 1995 | The Addiction | Yes | ||
| 1996 | The Funeral | Yes | ||
| 1997 | The Blackout | Yes | Yes | |
| 1998 | New Rose Hotel | Yes | Yes | |
| 2001 | 'R Xmas | Yes | Yes | |
| 2005 | Mary | Yes | Yes | |
| 2007 | Go Go Tales | Yes | Yes | |
| 2011 | 4:44 Last Day on Earth | Yes | Yes | |
| 2014 | Welcome to New York | Yes | Yes | |
| Pasolini | Yes | Yes | [54] | |
| 2019 | Tommaso | Yes | Yes | |
| 2020 | Siberia | Yes | Yes | |
| 2021 | Zeros and Ones | Yes | Yes | |
| 2022 | Padre Pio | Yes | Yes |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 9 Lives of a Wet Pussy | Old Man | |
| 1979 | The Driller Killer | Reno | Credited as "Jimmy Laine" |
| 1981 | Ms .45 | 1st rapist | |
| 1993 | Body Snatchers | ||
| 2006 | Exes | Cain | |
| 2009 | Daddy Longlegs | Robber | |
| 2014 | Don Peyote | Taxi cab driver | |
| 2016 | Sculpt | ||
| 2017 | Black Butterfly | Pat | |
| 2018 | Buon Lavoro | [55] | |
| 2025 | Marty Supreme | TBA | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Himself | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Not Guilty: For Keith Richards | Yes | Short | |||
| 2008 | Chelsea on the Rocks | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2009 | Napoli Napoli Napoli | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2010 | Mulberry St. | Yes | ||||
| 2017 | Alive in France | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Piazza Vittorio | Yes | Yes | [56] | |||
| 2018 | Talking with the Vampires | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short | [57] |
| 2019 | The Projectionist | Yes | Yes | [58] | ||
| 2020 | Sportin' Life | Yes | Yes | Yes | [59] | |
| 2024 | Turn in the Wound | Yes |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Miami Vice | "The Home Invaders", "The Dutch Oven" |
| 1986 | Crime Story | Pilot episode |
| 2012 | Pizza Connection | Web series |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Gladiator | |
| 1988 | The Loner | |
| 1997 | Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground | Segment "Love on the A Train" |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Mylène Farmer: California | Yes | |
| 1999 | Ben Folds Five: Don't Change Your Plans | Yes | |
| 2004 | Abenaa: "Rain" | Yes | Yes |
Ferrara has recast many of the same actors in his movies, most notablyChristopher Walken,Harvey Keitel andWillem Dafoe.[60] Other actors he has recast includeAnnabella Sciorra andMatthew Modine as well as character actors such asVictor Argo,Paul Calderón andGiancarlo Esposito.[61]David Caruso is another one of Ferrara's frequent film collaborators.[62]Ms .45 (1981) starZoë Lund collaborated with Ferrara again onBad Lieutenant (1992), which she co-wrote.[63]Gretchen Mol has worked with Ferrara twice.[64]Forest Whitaker starred in Ferrara's moviesMary (2005) andBody Snatchers (1993).[65]
Work Actor | 1979 | 1981 | 1986 | 1987 | 1990 | 1992 | 1993 | 1993 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 2001 | 2005 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2011 | 2014 | 2014 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Argento |  N | N | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Victor Argo | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Calderón | N | N | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||
| David Caruso | N | N | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Cristina Chiriac | N | N | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Willem Dafoe | N | N | N | N | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||
| Giancarlo Esposito | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abel Ferrara | N | N | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Anna Ferrara | N | N | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Ethan Hawke | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Hipp | N | N | N | N | N | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dennis Hopper | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Harvey Keitel | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanyn Leigh | N | N | N | N | N | |||||||||||||||||||
| Zoë Lund | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Matthew Modine | N | N | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Gretchen Mol | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| James Russo | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riccardo Scamarcio | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annabella Sciorra | N | N | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Christopher Walken | N | N | N | N | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Forest Whitaker | N | N |
Beginning withThe Driller Killer in 1979 throughThe Projectionist in 2019, Ferrara mostfrequently worked withKen Kelsch as his cinematographer.[66]
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Bad Lieutenant | Independent Spirit Award for Best Director | Nominated | |
| 1993 | Body Snatchers | Palme d'Or | Nominated | |
| 1995 | The Addiction | Golden Berlin Bear | Nominated | |
| 1996 | The Funeral | Independent Spirit Award for Best Director | Nominated | |
| 1998 | The Blackout | Worst Director − Yoga Awards | Won | [67] |
Media related toAbel Ferrara at Wikimedia Commons
