Documentary about Italian movie director Pier Paolo Pasolini, with interviews with some of his actors and friends. This short documentary was filmed in 1970 in Italy, when Pasolini had finished “Porcile” (Pigsty) and “Medea” and was preparing a film he was never to actually make about St. Paul’s life (he made “Il Decamerone” next instead). As superficial and contrived as this documentary is, with obtrusive English narration/voice-over that never allows us to listen to what Pasolini is REALLY saying, this is one of the very few docs with his actual participation, here seen with Ninetto Davoli walking through the alleys of the “borgate” of Rome, directing Callas in Medea and talking about his work. 35 years later, what still strikes us is Pasolini’s insightful and visionary (at times even prophetic) grasp of the Western capitalist society, the Italian Communist Party, religion, the Roman Catholic church, Stalinism, the role of intellectuals and students, the clash between proletarians and peasants. Pasolini’s work is commented with judgmental appreciation by the mentor of Neo-Realism, Italian screenwriter Cesare Zavattini, and by Pasolini’s personal friend and influential Italian writer Alberto Moravia.This one is for Pasolini fans only; but if you want to see a much more inspired and revealing documentary about him, try to find Jean-André Fieschi’s “Cinéma de Notre Temps: Pasolini l’Enragé” (1966)(q.v.), part of the great French TV series.
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Documentary about Italian movie director Pier Paolo Pasolini, with interviews with some of his actors and friends.

This short documentary was filmed in 1970 in Italy, when Pasolini had finished “Porcile” (Pigsty) and “Medea” and was preparing a film he was never to actually make about St. Paul’s life (he made “Il Decamerone” next instead). As superficial and contrived as this documentary is, with obtrusive English narration/voice-over that never allows us to listen to what Pasolini is REALLY saying, this is one of the very few docs with his actual participation, here seen with Ninetto Davoli walking through the alleys of the “borgate” of Rome, directing Callas in Medea and talking about his work.

35 years later, what still strikes us is Pasolini’s insightful and visionary (at times even prophetic) grasp of the Western capitalist society, the Italian Communist Party, religion, the Roman Catholic church, Stalinism, the role of intellectuals and students, the clash between proletarians and peasants. Pasolini’s work is commented with judgmental appreciation by the mentor of Neo-Realism, Italian screenwriter Cesare Zavattini, and by Pasolini’s personal friend and influential Italian writer Alberto Moravia.

This one is for Pasolini fans only; but if you want to see a much more inspired and revealing documentary about him, try to find Jean-André Fieschi’s “Cinéma de Notre Temps: Pasolini l’Enragé” (1966)(q.v.), part of the great French TV series.

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