Ruggero Deodato was born on May 7, 1939, in Potenza, Italy, and grew up outside Rome. One of his close friends at the time was 'Renzo Rossellini in just 19 days on a tiny budget. He then returned to directing action and horror flicks. Deodato lives in Rome with his current partner, Micaela Rocco, and still works in movies and occasional TV series. He is rumored to be planning a sequel to "Cannibal Holocaust".
He directed the notorious Cannibal Holocaust , in which--among other things--animals were actually killed on-screen. He was arrested shortly after its premiere in Italy, and faced accusations of first-degree murder--the authorities believed that several local actors in Colombia, where the film was shot, were also actually killed onscreen--as well as animal cruelty. He was exonerated after the actors were brought into the courtroom very much alive; they had special clauses in their contracts ordering them to "disappear" for a year to increase the films hype. Though Deodato was found not guilty, he was barred from making films in Italy for several years afterward, and the film itself was banned.
He is the father of Saverio Deodato , former brother-in-law of Sofia Dionisio and former son-in-law of Anna Maria Dionisio.
He was a big influence on Eli Roth , whose favorite film is Cannibal Holocaust and who invited Deodato to appear in his own film Hostel: Part II .
