The death of director Tinto Brass at age 93 on November 4 has sparked an intense public rebuke from Don Gianni Antoniazzi, the parish priest of Carpenedo in Mestre.
While the Catholic daily Avvenire chose to remain silent following the filmmaker’s passing, Don Antoniazzi published a sharp condemnation in the parish bulletin, Lettera aperta.
The priest, who oversees the parish formerly led by Don Armando Trevisiol, said that he felt ashamed of the Venetian roots of the director. "I am not an expert on the films of this author: I have only seen the scenes broadcast on the news," the 59-year-old priest wrote. "With firmness, I distance myself from this man who, in my modest opinion, reduced women to an object of pleasure."
Brass, born Giovanni Brass in Milan in 1933, spent much of his career facing controversy, including multiple legal seizures of his films for alleged indecency.
Throughout his life, he frequently criticized what he termed the "sexual hypocrisy of the Church," often incorporating satirical depictions of clergy or religious figures into his work. This mutual animosity reached a new peak with the priest’s recent comments, which drew a direct comparison to the death of Giulia Cecchettin.
The controversy over Brass’s cinematic legacy
The debate over the director’s work highlights a divide in how his filmography is perceived. While some critics championed him as a revolutionary for the female body, Don Antoniazzi argued that Brass’s work stripped women of their intelligence and dignity. In his bulletin, the priest questioned why laypeople who are quick to criticize the Church did not speak out against a director he believes humiliated modern women.
Others in the film industry offer a different perspective on the director’s body of work. Actress Stefania Sandrelli, who starred in the 1983 film La chiave, recalled Brass as "an angel" who protected her throughout the production. "Tinto highlights the flaws and vices of men," Sandrelli told La Repubblica.
She rejected the notion that the director’s films reduced women to objects, insisting that La chiave was a film "on the side of women."
Caterina Varzi Responds to Priest's Comments Regarding Brass's Final Years
The final years of the director’s life were marked by both personal challenges and legal disputes. Following a 2010 cerebral hemorrhage, Brass married his second wife, Caterina Varzi, in 2017. Varzi, an attorney and psychoanalyst who had collaborated with the filmmaker, later became his legal administrator after his children, Beatrice and Bonifacio, petitioned the Tribunal of Rome for support to manage his affairs and assets.
Following the priest’s recent comments in Lettera aperta, Caterina Varzi issued a rebuttal, telling that the priest should be ashamed of his words. She asserted that her late husband was "closer to God than many moralists."
Why the Priest Criticized Tinto Brass and His Children's Legal Dispute
Why did the parish priest wait until now to criticize Tinto Brass? The remarks were published in the parish bulletin, Lettera aperta, shortly after the director’s death on November 4. Don Gianni Antoniazzi used his parish bulletin to criticize the filmmaking of the late Tinto Brass, contrasting the director’s work with the cultural discussions surrounding the death of Giulia Cecchettin.
What was the nature of the legal dispute involving the director’s children?
In 2018, Beatrice and Bonifacio Brass sought the appointment of an administrator of support for their father, citing memory gaps following a 2010 stroke and concerns over the management of his assets. The court ultimately appointed his second wife, Caterina Varzi, to the role.
How did the director’s career shift over time?
Brass debuted in 1963 with Chi lavora è perduto, a film focusing on youth social malaise, and worked as an assistant director to Roberto Rossellini. His career transitioned in 1983 with La chiave, which marked his move from "serious" cinema to the erotic genre.
Related reading