I watched a documentary about this a few weeks back. Quite the story and very fucking bizarre. Not a movie I ever fancy watching.
He was charged with murder because they believed what was filmed was actually real, the first cinematic snuff movie - but was later cleared.
Cannibal Holocaust - Wikipedia
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Ruggero Deodato, the director of the 1980 found footage horror movie Cannibal Holocaust, has died at the age of 83. The Italian director is famous for creating one of the first major found footage horror films, with the graphic nature of Cannibal Holocaust convincing many viewers that the movie was a real-world event. Deodato's infamous film was marred in controversy due to snuff film allegations that were coupled with genuine animal executions seen within the movie. Despite the level of controversy surrounding it, none of that stopped Cannibal Holocaust from garnering a cult following over the decades.
Despite Deodato's passing, his legacy thanks to Cannibal Holocaust will live on for horror fans with a love for found footage movies in the genre. Prior to Cannibal Holocaust, no found footage films had ever been released, marking it as the first time the public had ever seen a movie that claimed to be newly discovered footage of a horrifying situation. The premise of an American film crew disappearing in the Amazon rainforest being presented as real was so new for the time that Deodato was arrested and charged with murder due to the believability of Cannibal Holocaust. Since then, Cannibal Holocaust has cemented itself as a classic for horror aficionados who enjoy the terrifying ride the found footage film displays.
Ruggero Deodato, Director Of Cannibal Holocaust, Dies At 83