Few of New Hollywood's greatest exponents - if any - continue to amaze audiences around the world as much as Martin Scorsese more than 60 years after his debut. Widely regarded as one of the most influential directors of all time and arguably the greatest living American filmmaker, Scorsese has shaped and strongly influenced the artistic and aesthetic foundations of contemporary filmmaking, helping to renew genres and the star system. The National Cinema Museum in Turin pays tribute to the legendary master who made some of the most memorable and celebrated films in the history of cinema and himself became the embodiment of all-time classics, recounting the imagery of American society with his masterful technique. Winner of every prestigious film award, Scorsese has often attributed Italian Neo-realism as a significant influence on his work and, in 2006, signed the introduction to the volume "Cabiria & Cabiria", published by the National Cinema Museum on the occasion of the restoration of Giovanni Pastrone's blockbuster: almost two decades after this first collaboration, Scorsese attended last night's gala in his honor in the Temple Hall of the Mole Antonelliana, during which he was presented by Museum President Enzo Ghigo and Director Domenico De Gaetano with the Stella della Mole Lifetime Achievement Award (the Italian cultural institution's highest honor, which, over the years, has been bestowed on major figures in world cinema, including frequent Scorsese collaborators such as Paul Schrader, Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo). "Ever since I sat with my grandparents and parents more than 70 years ago watching Rossellini's Paisà on television, Italian cinema has occupied a very special place in my heart, a presence that has guided me, supported me, spurred me on in my work as a filmmaker," says Martin Scorsese. “It is truly significant for me to receive such an award at this particular moment in my life, in this beautiful museum here in Turin dedicated to the history of one of the great loves of my life: Italian cinema”.