Franco Rosso

Franco Rosso (born 29 August 1941) is an Italian-born film producer and director based in England, whose films demonstrate "rare sympathy and understanding with minority groups in general, immigrant minority groups in particular." He is known for making films about Black British culture, and in particular for the 1980 cult film Babylon, about Black youth in south London, which was backed by the National Film Finance Corporation.

Life and career

Rosso was born in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, but grew up in London, where his parents (who had been Fiat workers in Turin) brought him when he was aged eight. After attending comprehensive school in Battersea, Rosso went on to Camberwell School of Art and the Royal College of Art (at which he was a contemporary of Ian Dury).

He was assistant on Ken Loach's 1969 film Kes, and his subsequent career as a filmmaker has encompassed feature films as well as television documentaries and series, working as an editor, producer, director and writer. In 1981 he won as Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Film-Maker for his 1981 drama Babylon, which was called by New Britain fanzine "one of the best British films ever made, not just one of the best 'Black' or 'Youth' films".

Rosso

Rosso is the major city of south-western Mauritania and capital of Trarza region. It is situated on the Senegal River at the head of year-round navigation. The town is 204 km south of the capital Nouakchott. The Arabic name is Al-Quwarib.

History

Rosso was once the capital of the Emirate of Trarza, a Precolonial Sahrawi dominated state.

Under French colonial rule Senegal and Mauritania were administered as a single entity. When independence came, the new frontier was drawn along the Senegal River, thus splitting the small town of Rosso in two. This article refers to Mauritanian Rosso, on the northern bank of the river.

Originally a staging-post for the gum arabic trade, Rosso has grown rapidly since independence. From a population of a mere 2 300 in 1960 it has now overtaken Kaédi to become the 3rd largest city in the country with 48 922 inhabitants (2000 census).

Languages

South-western Mauritania is predominantly a Wolof -speaking area but many members of Mauritania's other ethnic groups have moved to the town to escape the severe problems of desertification further north.

Rosso (bus company)

Rosso is the trading name of Rossendale Transport Ltd, a bus operator providing services in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire. It is owned by Rossendale Borough Council.

History

Rosso can trace its history back to 1907 when both Rawtenstall and Haslingden Corporations (both independently) ran a motor bus within their boroughs. Both undertakings merged in 1968 to form Rossendale Joint Transport Committee and later in 1974 with the local government reorganisation the boroughs were merged, along with Bacup (which was already served by Rossendale buses; Bacup Borough not having its own bus company) and Whitworth to form the present Borough of Rossendale.

To comply with the Transport Act 1985, in 1986 the assets were transferred to a new legal entity.

It expanded over the following 20 years and now operates buses throughout Rossendale, Bury and Rochdale as well as operating into Burnley, Blackburn, Bolton and Todmorden.

In August 2013, the Rossendale Transport bus network was rebranded (with a new livery design of red, orange, yellow and white) as Rosso.

Rosso (disambiguation)

Rosso, Italian for red, can also mean several things

See also