Moretti was born in Bruneck, South Tyrol, Italy, to Roman parents who were both teachers. His father was the late epigraphist Luigi Moretti, an influential Greek teacher at Sapienza University of Rome. While growing up he discovered his two passions, the cinema and water polo. Having finished his studies he pursued a career as a producer, and in 1973 directed his first two short films: Pâté de bourgeois and The Defeat (La sconfitta). His brother is the renowned literary scholar Franco Moretti. In 1976, Giovanni's first feature film Io sono un autarchico (I am Self-Sufficient) was released. In 1978 he produced the movie Ecce Bombo, which tells the story of a student having problems with his entourage. It was screened at the Cannes Festival. Sogni d'orowon the Silver Lion at the 38th Venice International Film Festival. La messa è finita won the Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize at the36th Berlin International Film Festival.He may be best known for his films Caro diario (Dear Diary, 1993; followed in 1998 by a sequel, Aprile) and La stanza del figlio (The Son's Room, 2001), the latter of which won the Palme d'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Moretti has used certain actors several times in his films, generally playing minor roles. His father Luigi appears in 6 films, Dario Cantarelli and Mauro Fabretti in 5, Antonio Petrocelli in 4. Actors he has used in more major roles include Silvio Orlando, who appears in 5 films (including the role of protagonist in Il caimano) and Laura Morante, who featured in Sogni d'oro, Bianca and The Son's Room. Having played waterpolo in the B division of the Italian championship, his experience later inspired his film Palombella Rossa ("palombella," which literally means "little pigeon," refers to a type of lob shot). His other work has not been widely seen outside Europe, but within his country Moretti is known as a maker of wryly humorous and eccentric films, usually starring himself. His most recent role was in the film Mia Madre (Mia Madre, 2013) Moretti is also an outspoken political leftist: in 2002 he organized street protests against the government of Silvio Berlusconi. Il caimano (2006) is in part about Berlusconi's controversies: in one of the three portraits of the Italian prime minister Moretti himself plays Berlusconi. Aprile also deals with Italy's political situation and Moretti's views on it. His 2011 film We Have a Pope screened In Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. He lives in Rome, having been resident since birth, where he is co-owner of a small movie theater, Nuovo Sacher. The short film, Il Giorno della prima di Close Up (Opening Day of Close-Up, 1996), shows Moretti at his theatre attempting to encourage patrons to attend the opening day of Abbas Karostami’s film, Close Up. His 2015 film Mia Madre was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
