Mario Ruspoli (1925 - 1986) was born in Rome but became a naturalized Frenchman. He was one of the protagonists of the "˜direct cinema', a name that he himself suggested in 1962, instead of "˜cineÌma veÌriteÌ'(truth cinema). His experience as a documentarist reflected a particular sensitivity towards his surroundings, combined with a will to represent events in a critical and structurally organised way. Ruspoli was also a strong promoter of new shooting techniques, using light-weight camera equipment and direct audio-recording, besides being an attentive critic of the contemporary documentary experience. Among his films, we may mention the documentary "˜ Les hommes de la baleine' (1958), made with the collaboration of Rouget and Marker, and Blues man (1963).
