His second novel, "Uccelli da gabbia e da voliera" ("Cage and Aviary Birds"), published in 1982, was praised by Federico Fellini, with whom De Carlo worked as assistant director on the movie E la nave va (And the Ship Sails On). Towards the end of shooting, De Carlo made the short film "Le facce di Fellini" ("The Faces of Fellini") about the relationship between the great Italian director and his actors. He later collaborated with Michelangelo Antonioni on the screenplay for a film that was never made.