Ruggero Deodato

Ruggero Deodato (1939–2022, Italy) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He began his career in advertising and theater before directing his first feature film in 1964, gaining international notoriety for his exploitation and horror works in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly the controversial found-footage film *Cannibal Holocaust* (1980), which faced bans and legal scrutiny for its graphic violence. Deodato’s contributions to the giallo and cannibal subgenres influenced extreme cinema, though his later career included more mainstream projects like episodes of *Miami Vice*.