If there’s a royal family in Italian cinema, it’s director Paolo Virzì’s. And it’s his birthday! Auguri!

His wife, the queen, is the gorgeous and talented Micaela Ramazzotti, and his brother is the multi-talented musician/director/film composer Carlo Virzì. 

And he is the director. The Director. The one to beat. The one that has set the bar so high and has raised standards of Italian cinema.

His film, Il Capitale Umano, was sent to the Academy for Oscar consideration, and truth be told, after watching all of the nominated films, though Ida deserved the win for best film, Il Capitale Umano surely deserved a nomination.

Americans, if you haven’t yet had the chance to watch Human Capital, it will be available to you on DVD later this year, and most likely through Netflix and on demand venues.

For now, it may be coming to a city near you thanks to Italian Film Festival USA