A comprehensive retrospective of his cinematic works. Pasolini's film legacy is distinguished by an unerring eye for cinematic composition and tone, and a stylistic ease within a variety of genres - many of which he reworked to his own purposes, and all of which he invested with his distinctive touch.
The Museum of Modern Art, Luce
Cinecittà, and Fondo Pier Paolo Pasolini/Cineteca di Bologna present Pier
Paolo Pasolini, a full retrospective celebrating the filmmaker’s cinematic
output, from December 13, 2012 through January 5, 2013, in The Roy and
Niuta Titus Theaters. Pasolini’s film legacy is distinguished by an unerring
eye for cinematic composition and tone, and a stylistic ease within a variety
of genres—many of which he reworked to his own purposes, and all of which
he invested with his distinctive touch. Yet, it is Pasolini’s unique genius for
creating images that evoke the inner truths of his own brief life that truly
distinguish his films. This comprehensive retrospective presents Pasolini’s
celebrated films with newly struck prints by Luce Cinecittà after a careful
work of two years, many shown in recently restored versions. The exhibition
is organized by Jytte Jensen, Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of
Modern Art, and by Camilla Cormanni and Paola Ruggiero, Luce Cinecittà;
with Roberto Chiesi, Fondo Pier Paolo Pasolini/Cineteca di Bologna; and
Graziella Chiarcossi.
Pasolini’s (b. Bologna, 1922-1975) cinematic works roughly
correspond to four periods in the socially and politically committed artist’s
life. ‘The National Popular Cinema’ commenced with his debut, Accattone
(1961), which immediately made a name for him as a filmmaker of
prodigious talent. This was followed by Mamma Roma (1962) and a number
of episodic comic films—including Hawks and Sparrows (1966); The Earth as
Seen from the Moon (1966)—containing warm, honest portraits of people
living on the fringes of society, and culminated in the masterful The Gospel
According to Matthew (1964). Marking him as a provocative thinker and
audacious artist with an uncompromising vision, Pasolini’s middle period is
frequently termed ‘The Unpopular Cinema’, in which his excoriating
depictions of the bourgeoisie lent passionate immediacy to films like
Teorema (1968), Porcile (1969), and a modern interpretation of Medea
(1969).
‘The Trilogy of Life’—The Decameron (1971), The Canterbury Tales
(1972), and Arabian Nights (1973–74)— is a triumphant reinterpretation of
classic tales and fables that retain their universality despite being
interpreted by thoroughly modern means. As Pasolini himself noted, he
focused on the past precisely because it reflects the present most
profoundly. Often referred to as the ‘Abjuration of the Trilogy of Life’, the
director’s despairing final film, Saló or the 120 Days of Sodom, was held up
for years due to censorship issues, and it remains a shockingly raw and
profoundly disconcerting experience.
The film retrospective will be accompanied by a series of events that
pay tribute to Pasolini’s multifaceted career. On December 14, an evening of
recitals by well-known Italian and American actors highlights Pasolini’s
accomplishments as an acclaimed essayist, beloved poet, and composer. On
December 16, MoMA PS1 will host a program of performances by
contemporary artists inspired by Pasolini. A roundtable discussion about his
artistic legacy will take place on December 12 at Casa Zerilli-Marimò, New
York University, and on December 13, The Italian Cultural Institute hosts a
seminar titled Pasolini: A Writer for the New Millennium, with a panel of
experts, moderated by Fabio Finotti, and a book launch of Pier Paolo
Pasolini, My Own Cinema, an anthology including interviews, stories, journal
notes, preliminary texts, subjects, and screenplays from Pasolini’s archives;
edited by Pasolini’s sole heir Graziella Chiarcossi, with the collaboration of
Roberto Chiesi (Fondo Pasolini/Cineteca di Bologna) and published by
Cineteca di Bologna and Luce Cinecittà.
MoMA PS1 presents Saló or the 120 Days of Sodom, Teorema, and
Medea as continuous cinematic installations running throughout the film
retrospective. Opening on December 15, Location 1 will host a gallery
exhibition bringing together over 40 rarely exhibited drawings and paintings
by Pasolini from the Fondo Pier Paolo Pasolini holdings in the Archivio
Contemporaneo "Alessandro Bonsanti" at the Gabinetto Scientifico Letterario
Vieusseux in Florence, Italy.
SPONSORSHIP:
Co-produced by The Museum of Modern Art, New York and Luce Cinecittà,
Rome. The exhibition is organized by Jytte Jensen, Curator, Department of
Film, The Museum of Modern Art, and by Camilla Cormanni and Paola
Ruggiero, Luce Cinecittà; with Roberto Chiesi, Cineteca di Bologna; Fondo
Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bologna; and Graziella Chiarcossi. Presented in
association with the Ministry of Culture of Italy. Special thanks to The Italian
Cultural Institute, New York.
This exhibition is supported by Gucci.
Image: Medea. 1969. Italy, France, Germany. Directed by Pier Paolo
Pasollini. Pictured Maria Callas. Image courtesy of The Museum of Modern
Art.
Press are invited to a launch event on December 12, at 10
a.m., at MoMA PS1. Invitations to follow.
Press Contacts: Brien McDaniel, 212-708-9747 or brien_mcdaniel@moma.org
Margaret Doyle, 212-408-6400 or margaret_doyle@moma.org
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