Skip to main content

Interview: Daniele Bracuto, President of the Cineforum Pier Paolo Pasolini - on Pasolini in Basilicata


“No other filmmaker from the ‘60s continues to seem as strikingly contemporary as Pier Paolo Pasolini. His insistence on a cinema of poetry, his candid analysis of the politics of sex, and his search for the spiritual in the everyday make him not only a forerunner of contemporary debates, but also an active participant in those debates.” - Richard Peña, formerly of the Film Society of Lincoln Center 

It’s been four decades since we lost the ingenuity of Pier Paolo Pasolini. A writer, a filmmaker, an artist, an intellectual, Pasolini embraced life and lived it to the fullest. What I appreciate the most about Pasolini’s work is how open it is to interpretation. The evolution of my personal understanding of his work has been underway since 2007 when for the first time ever, I saw a Pasolini film on the big screen. Valerio Mastandrea was in New York City to perform with the production, Accattone in Jazz as part of New York City’s tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini. "The project started five years ago at a jazz festival. The organizer asked me to read something about Pasolini, to make sort of an adaptation of one of his screenplays. I was very familiar with his film, “Accattone”, so I found the script and created an act. I play all the characters in the movie while the jazz musicians play along. It's really a jazz project full of improvisation.  We have 10 chapters of the movie; the beginning, middle and end.  We perform together and my words become music and their rhythm becomes words."  The performance made a big impression on me and I’ve been hooked on Pasolini ever since.  

I’ve found that reading his poetry in Italian, free of translations has helped me the most in having at least some understanding of what was going on in his mind. He was a complicated person of many layers but above all, when I read his words, I see a realist. His movies, his stories and his poetry are all very real and reflective of the brutalities of life. But he also was a passionate lover of life, so there is always that element of optimism in his work that contrasts the pessimism and reality of the harsh world. Pasolini loved children and he rallied for the poor. His Roman films were often shot in the slums because he wanted to bring that story and that struggle to light. His protagonists in those stories were tortured souls in real-life like Anna Mangani and Totò, perhaps because they didn’t have to reach very far to pull out performances fueled by empathy. But then, that’s my interpretation, my opinion and I’ve learned over this eight years, that anyone moved at all by the work of Pasolini has an opinion about what made him create his iconic films, and that’s what keeps him relevant 40 years after his death. 

Pier Paolo Pasolini and Anna Magnani on the set of Mamma Roma
© Archivio storico Istituto Luce Cinecittà srl

I was fortunate to spend some time in Italy this year during the 40th anniversary of his death. There were dozens of events all over Italy in commemoration. I attended a discussion at the Roman book store Libreria Granai as part of the series, 10 Days of Pasolini.


Several authors and scholars spoke about certain aspects of his life from his love of Rome to his rallying for the poor to his fascination with sex and homosexuality to his filmmaking in Basilicata, where he shot "Il Vangelo secondo Matteo" (The Gospel According to St. Matthew). One discussion I really enjoyed was the presentation of the book, Comizi d’Amore by Mario Desiati e Roberto Ippolito. The book features recollections by Pasolini’s cousin, Graziella Chiarcossi and explores several aspects of his work and personality through an investigation conducted by Pasolini in 1963 on sexuality in Italy.

Graziella Chiarcossi, cousin of Pasolini

During the Festa del Cinema in Rome, Mario Sesti’s documentary film, "The Voice of Pasolini" was shown at the Nuovo Cinema Aquilla Theater, located in the Pignetto neighborhood where he shot "Accattone." It’s an abstract work that explores Pasolini’s detest for the bourgeoisie, politicians and war. Narrated by actor Toni Servillo, the film is yet another interpretation of Pasolini’s work. Following the film, Sesti moderated a fascinating discussion with Pasolini’s cousin about his personal life and work. 

The event closest to my heart, however, was the two days that I spent in Matera where Pasolini shot his 1964 "Il Vangelo secondo Matteo." The ancient Palestine-like stone city where many a biblical epic has been filmed is strikingly beautiful to say the least. Just standing in the center of all that ancient white-washed stone is an experience in itself.. then add the cinema element. "Il Vangelo secondo Matteo" is about the life of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of St. Matthew. It was named by the Vatican as “the best work about Jesus in the history of cinema.” The film stars Spanish actor Enrique Irazoqui with Pasolini’s beloved mother as the older Mary. In a 1969 interview for the New York Times with reporter Guy Flatley, Pasolini described his mother in that role as "extraordinary because when she saw Christ go on the cross, she felt the same pain that she felt when my brother, a partisan, was killed during the war." Pasolini’s long time companion, Ninetto Davoli, who appeared in a number of his films, played a shepherd.

While I was passing through the region on my “Basilicata: Terra di Cinema” tour in September, I caught up with Daniele Bracuto, an expert on all things Pasolini. He is currently the president of the local tourist association in Barile- Pro Loco and the movie association Cineforum Pier Paolo Pasolini that promotes movies and culture in the area of the magnificent Monte Vulture, a now dormant volcano that majestically towers over its surrounding towns. We met at the Museo della Civiltà Contadina, a beautiful space that pays homage to the past generations of the region. It was a very moving experience for me because it gave me some insight into how my great grandparents lived before they left for America in 1906. I asked Bracuto about Pasolini’s time in Matera and his feelings about the region of Basilicata.  

How did Pasolini discover Basilicata as a place to create cinema?
In 1962, Pasolini passed through Basilicata looking for locations for the film "The Gospel According to St. Matthew." He had been in Calabria (where he found the actress for the Holy Mary, Margherita Caruso) and on his return back to Rome, made a stop in Matera. He was fascinated by what he saw. He found other locations suited for the film close by, choosing Castel Lagopesole (where he had filmed scenes of the Sanhedrin) and Barile with the Urban Park of the Wine Cellars, where he set the scene for the Annunciation, the Nativity and the massacre of the innocents.

Do you know what qualities of Basilicata attracted Pasolini to the region?
Pasolini was attracted to the purity of the landscapes, the roughness of the structures and the authenticity of the people. In fact, the locations he chose were so fitting, he did not need any other sets. Pasolini chose Basilicata as the Holy Land because he considered it ideal to shoot scenes from the Gospel. 

Tell me about his relationship with Basilicata.. he seemed to really love the region.
The locations in Basilicata were perfect for Pasolini’s film. But I think that he had loved the region so much because the people were very welcoming and he found such wonderful places outside of shooting. 

How did Pasolini impact the region?
Pasolini heard about Basilicata from Luchino Visconti, who shot the movie "Rocco and His Brothers" a few years earlier. He loved these places because of their authenticity and he loved the people because of their hospitality. Seeing cameras and participating as extras in the film created a real revolution because there was so much misery and poverty during those years. I've heard stories about people of my town, Barile, that participated as extras to earn some money.  

It's apparent that the people of Basilicata still hold in their hearts a great affection and pride for the time Pasolini spent in their region. 

Pasolini was violently murdered and most likely suffered greatly in his death. Although Pino Pelosi was arrested for the brutal murder, many doubt that it was him, or if he is guilty, that he acted alone. Whoever his killers.. and whatever their motive.. they were not successful in taking away the impact that Pasolini had and continues to have on the Italian culture and filmmaking throughout the world. Pasolini’s relevance is still very much alive today. His vision and intellect continue to inspire filmmakers, authors, scholars and journalists to write and interpret the timeless body of work he left for us.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Anna Foglietta: Actress and Activist with Old School Elegance

One look at actress Anna Foglietta in her any of her roles, and the Golden Age of Italian cinema comes to mind. Among Italy’s most sought-after actresses today, Foglietta brings to the table a classic eloquence of yesterday while representing Italy’s modern woman. Born in Rome in 1979, Foglietta began her career in 2005 with a role in the RAI television series La squadra . Her character Agent Anna De Luca had a two-year run on the series as she was transitioning to cinema with Paolo Virzì’s 2006 ensemble project 4-4-2- Il gioco più bello del mondo . Since then, she has become one of Italy’s most diverse actresses, transforming herself into interesting, layered characters for comedies and dramas alike. Aside from a small part in Anton Corbijn’s 2010 film The American starring George Clooney, Foglietta’s work began reaching mainstream American audiences in 2015. As Elisa in Edoardo Leo’s 2015 comedy Noi e la Giulia , Foglietta showed her funny side playing a goofball pregn

The Life and Work of Monica Bellucci

Monica Bellucci as Malèna Born in Umbria in 1964, Monica Bellucci is one of the most recognizable faces of international cinema. But she didn't always have her sights set on the spotlight. She went to college to study law and modeled to pay her tuition. Her success in the fashion world coupled with the offers that were pouring in to appear on the big screen eventually took over, changing her fate. Bellucci made her on-screen debut in the 1990 television movie, " Vita coi figli." Just two years later, she scored her first American role in Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula."   In addition to her native language, she speaks fluent English and French, which has made for a smooth transition from Italian to international cinema. Stateside, she has acted in blockbusters such as "The Matrix-Reloaded,"     " The Passion of the Christ" and " The Sorcerer's Apprentice." She has also appeared in several French films, a

Pasolini's Playground of Roman Ruins

Anna Magnani in a scene from "Mamma Roma" Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1962 “Mamma Roma” starring Anna Magnani , follows the title character, a Roman prostitute determined to change her life and give her son the opportunities she never had. She seizes the opportunity to leave her life on the streets behind when her pimp (Franco Citti) gets married and frees her from his possession. Mamma then goes to the small provincial town of Guidonia to fetch her son, Ettore (Ettore Garofolo), and bring him to Rome to embark on their new life together. She buys a pushcart, finds an apartment in a nice neighborhood, and uses her connections to secure him a job in a restaurant. However, Ettore gets mixed up with boys who are petty thieves and is negatively influenced by them. At the same time, Mamma Roma’s pimp resurfaces and sends her back to the streets. When Ettore learns about his mother’s prostitution, he goes astray and wholeheartedly joins in on the petty crimes of the boys. One day, while

Stefano Natale- the Charismatic Muse behind Carlo Verdone's Iconic Characters

The beauty of Italian cinema lies in the diversity of its genres and styles. Although the ’80s have received its share of criticism for its less-than-profound output, it was the decade in which contemporary maestro Carlo Verdone emerged as a creative young director and actor. The characters he brought to life during those years became permanent fixtures in Roman pop culture. Films like “Un sacco bello,” “Bianco, rosso e Verdone,” and “Borotalco” gave birth to the iconic Mimmo, Leo and Sora Lella.   Enter Stefano Natale, the real-life muse behind Leo and Mimmo. Natale was the subject of a documentary presented at the 2015 Festa del Cinema in Rome. One of four protagonists in Luca Ferrari’s “Showbiz,” he is a soft-spoken gentle giant who recalls his life with Verdone and the creation of his characters in a nostalgic, affectionate manner. “Verdone and I grew up together in the same building near Ponte Sisto,” Natale recalls. “Our grandmothers were cousins, and for 30 years we saw each o

Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni.. What cinema dreams are made of

The Toronto International Film Festival is wrapping up its retrospective of the cinematic collaboration of husband and wife team, Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni. Over the last few days, the couple have participated in discussions, Q & A sessions and have introduced several of their films. Today, I attended a screening of "La voce della luna" (The voice of the moon). It was  Federico Fellini's last film and is a wonderful tribute to the director's signature poetic madness. The film gave Benigni the opportunity to team up with fellow beloved comic, Paolo Villaggio, and the two created a truly unforgettable adventure. Today's screening began with an introduction by Benigni. The moments leading up to his introduction were noticeably serious and somewhat tense. Benigni's publicist and TIFF security staunchly guarded his privacy. There was no interaction and no photos were allowed. Guided by his entourage, he walked quickly from the Green Room to th