Italian Cinema Today

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, e...

There have been countless cinematic interpretations of the books of the Bible, but few have stood the test of time. One that qualifies as a classic is Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1964 “Il Vangolo secondo Matteo” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew). Considered by the Vatican to be among the best film adaptations of one of the Gospels, Pasolini’s 1964 film was shot in the regions of Calabria, Puglia and Basilicata. In an interview with RAI television while on location in Matera, Pasolini talked about the reasons for shooting there. “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,” he explained. Pasolini’s interpretation of St. Matthews’s Gospel is pure, with no added commentary. He said that he followed the Gospel word for word without adding a single syllable. He explained in the interview that his idea to make the film happened by coincidence. “In October of 19...

The people of Basilicata, Lucani, possess many admirable qualities like strength, integrity, and creativity. However, the quality I admire most is their sense of humor. For years, their region has been the subject of unfounded criticism. In one recent article, a Rome-based foreign journalist described the region as “dying mountain towns.” Since Matera was named the 2019 European Capital of Culture just over a year ago, travel agencies worldwide have designed tours, bringing thousands upon thousands to see the Sassi of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Throughout the years, Hollywood and Cinecittà have transformed this so-called dying region into movie sets for films like "The Passion of the Christ," "Ben Hur," and Edoardo Leo’s award-winning "Noi e La Giulia."   Matera The Lucani have thick skin and usually laugh off empty criticism. However, they have been facing a serious issue for the past couple of years.  A 2014 report released by th...