Luigi Comencini

Luigi Comencini, one of Italy's great postwar directors who was known as the "children's director" for his explorations of the world of children, has died, officials said Friday. He was 90. Rome's mayor Walter Veltroni confirmed the death in a statement, paying homage to "a master, one of the great and unforgettable directors in the history of film." The family said Comencini died after a long illness, the ANSA news agency reported. In addition to films such as "Pane, amore e fantasia" (Bread, Love and Dreams) starring Gina Lollobrigida and Vittorio De Sica, Comencini was one of the founders of the Cineteca Italiana -- the first film archive in Italy. Comencini began his career in film as a newspaper film critic, and made his debut on screen with a documentary, "Bambini in Citta" (Children in the City), in 1946. He was often referred to as "the children's director" for his popular children's works, including "Le avventure di Pinocchio" (The Adventures of Pinocchio) for television in 1972. "We loved him, more than anything else, for his delicate and intense vision of the world of infancy," Veltroni said. Comencini is survived by his wife and four daughters, Veltroni said.