Michelangelo Antonioni, one of the most innovative and distinctive filmmakers of the twentieth century, has died at the age of ninety-four, reports The Guardian. The Italian director died at his home in Rome on Monday evening, less than twenty-four hours after the death of Ingmar Bergman. Alongside his near contemporary Federico Fellini, Antonioni signaled a break with the Neorealist style that flourished in Italy at the end of the Second World War. In contrast to the working-class parables of Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini, his films were cool and stylized, traditionally focusing on the experiences of an alienated bourgeoisie. Antonioni made his film debut with Cronaca di un amore (Chronicle of a Love) in 1950. International success followed with the release of his classic L’Avventura (The Adventure) in 1960. Away from his native Italy, Antonioni made his English language debut with the epoch-catching London thriller Blowup in 1966. In 1985, Antonioni suffered a severe stroke that left him unable to speak. He directed his last film, 1995’s Beyond the Clouds, from his wheelchair, with the assistance of director Wim Wenders. The following year he was presented with a lifetime-achievement Oscar at the Academy Awards. “With Antonioni dies not only one of the greatest directors but also a master of modernity,” said Rome mayor Walter Veltroni this morning. A quiet funeral is planned in Ferrara, his birthplace in northern Italy, for Thursday.