Franco Piavoli began filmmaking in the 1960s with the shorts Le stagioni (1961) and Evasi (1964). His debut feature was Il pianeta azzurro (1982), followed by Nostos, il ritorno (1989), and Al primo soffio di vento (2002), shown at Venice and other international film festivals. He won the Nastro d’Argento and the 2004 Premio Vittorio De Sica. After filming Affettuosa presenza (2005), he made L'orto di Flora, an episode in Ermanno Olmi’s Terra Madre.
