Ruggero Deodato dead: Italian director of Cannibal Holocaust dies aged 83

Italian director Ruggero Deodato has died at 83 years old, according to industry figures.

The horror film director and screenwriter was nicknamed “Monsieur Cannibal” after his 1980 found-footage film Cannibal Holocaust gained notoriety.

Deodato’s reported death has been mourned by his contemporary Sergio Martino, director of films such as All the Colors of the Dark (1972) and Torso (1973).

In Italian, Martino wrote on Facebook: “I just found out that Ruggero Deodato passed away. With him, I shared a wonderful season of cinema.

“We basically started together on a parallel path that in these years of reevaluation of our cinema has ‘goliardically’ taken us around the world together. Goodbye Ruggero!”

Similarly, director and writer Lorenzo Lombardi paid tribute to Deodato.

The In the Market (2009) director wrote on Facebook: “Today is a sad day. A great master of cinema leaves us. A friend who gave me advice and anecdotes. Thank you for everything. Bye Ruggero, have a safe trip!”

More to follow...