Rare Interview with Pasolini on Location in Basilicata

Photo by Domenico Notarangelo

I recently found a rare interview with Pier Paolo Pasolini on location in Basilicata while he was shooting “Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew). The interview was posted by Rai Teche. The journalist also interviews Alfonso Gatto, a poet who was cast as St. Andrew.

Pasolini shot in Basilicata (Barile and Matera) because of the structures and landscapes that he says reminded him of Bethlehem and Jerusalem and because of the simplicity of the people. He mentions here that the Albanian presence, which probably accounts for the closeups and casting of locals, was a factor in choosing the location of Barile.

He also explains that he made the film simply because St. Matthew’s writings moved him. He left the text unchanged, deciding not to add his own interpretation or spin.

What a gift this journalist gave us. I just took a few soundbites and added subtitles to them. Click here to watch my subtitled, edited version. Click here to watch the complete interview in Italian on Rai Teche.

Below is the complete text of my subtitled, edited version.

Once again, the Sassi of Matera is the background for a film. After Lattuada, Zampa and Brunello Rondi, Pier Paolo Pasolini has come here to shoot “The Gospel According to St. Matthew.”

Pasolini, let’s start with the obligatory question. Why did you choose Basilicata for this film?

I chose two or three places in Basilicata. One is Barile, a town of Albanians. I needed a place for Bethlehem. Another location is Matera because it reminded me of Jerusalem.

Is this the true, authentic Gospel or did you add a modern twist?

No, it is the Gospel. I followed word for word the text of St. Matthew. I didn’t add a single syllable to the dialogue.

Why out of four Gospels, did you choose St. Matthew?

The reason is purely coincidental. In October of 1962, I was in Assisi exactly the day when Pope John XXIII arrived in Assisi. All of the events and confusion surrounding the Pope’s visit caused a traffic jam. So, I was forced to stay at home with my guests who belong to the Pro Civitate Christiana of Assisi. So, held up inside with nothing to do, I picked up the Bible on the table and started reading. I began with St. Matthew because it was the first, and then came the trauma of the story. Then I read the others but the intense trauma that gave me the idea of the film came from St. Matthew. So I stayed loyal to that first feeling of inspiration.

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