''Pasolini, un delitto italiano'' (''Pasolini, an Italian Crime''), internationally released as ''Who Killed Pasolini?'', is a 1995

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

co-written and directed by

Marco Tullio Giordana Marco Tullio Giordana (born 1 October 1950) is an Italian Film director, director and screenwriter. Biography Born in Milan, during the 1970s he approaches the cinema by collaborating on the screenplay of Roberto Faenza's 1977 documentary ''F ...

. It was released on 3 July 1996. It depicts the trial against Pino Pelosi, who was charged with the murder of artist and filmmaker

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

. The film entered the competition at the

52nd Venice International Film Festival The 52nd annual Venice International Film Festival was held between 30 August to 9 September 1995. Jury The following people comprised the 1995 jury: * Jorge Semprún (head of jury) * Guglielmo Biraghi (former head of the festival) * Jean-Pierr ...

, in which Giordana won the President of the Italian Senate's gold medal. The film also won the

David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...

for best editing.

Plot synopsis

The film traces the last hours of the life of poet and film director

. The poet is killed at night in 1975 on the beach at Ostia, near

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. A boy is arrested: Pino Pelosi, and charged with murder. The police and judges believe that Pelosi is the only murderer of Pasolini, but his injuries on the body of the poet are too severe and profound. Then are called to bear witness to the death of the poet his sister and his mother, destroyed by grief. As the process unfolds, the film examines the personality of Pasolini, his body of work and, above all, explains what people think of him in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

: Pasolini according to some Italians was a provocative man who "deserved what he suffered" (his murder), as punishment for being a

Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

and a

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

. Instead, his friends and fellow intellectuals remember him as a very good and sensible man, who sought only to fight against neo-fascism and the cruel and bigoted mentality prevailing in the Occidental world, particularly in the bourgeois and middle-class society.

Cast

* Carlo De Filippi: Pino Pelosi *

Giulio Scarpati Giulio Scarpati (born 20 February 1956) is an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Rome, pretty active on stage, after several small film roles Scarpati had his breakout role in 1991 as Marco, the main character in the Giuseppe Piccioni's dra ...

: Nino Marazzita * Antonello Fassari: Rocco Mangia *

Claudio Bigagli Claudio Bigagli (born 8 December 1955) is an Italian actor. He has appeared in more than 40 films and television shows since 1976. He starred in '' Fiorile'', which was entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. Selected filmography * '' The ...

: Guido Calvi *

Andrea Occhipinti Andrea Occhipinti (born 12 September 1957) is an Italian film producer and distributor. He is the founder of Rome-based film company Lucky Red. Since 1987 he has distributed and produced international independent films, introducing Italian audien ...

Furio Colombo Furio Colombo (born 1 January 1931) is an Italian journalist and politician, former editor-in-chief of ''L'Unità''. Biography Journalistic and academic career Colombo was born in Châtillon, Aosta Valley in a Jewish family. In the mid-1950 ...

Nicoletta Braschi Nicoletta Braschi (; born 19 April 1960) is an Italian actress and producer, best known for her work with her husband, actor and director Roberto Benigni. Life and career Born in Cesena, Braschi studied in Rome's Academy of Dramatic Arts wher ...

: Graziella Chiarcossi *

Massimo De Francovich Massimo, also Massimino, and Massimine () is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: Given name: * Massimo Agostinelli (Max Agos) (born 1987), Swiss based Italian American artist, entrepreneur and activist * Massimo A ...

: Faustino Durante *

Victor Cavallo Victor Cavallo (birth name Vittorio Vitolo, 8 May 1947 in Rome – 21 January 2000 in Rome) was an Italian actor and underground writer. He started his acting career on stage in 1974, in cinema worked for directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci ...

: Antonio Pelosi *

Rosa Pianeta Rosa or De Rosa may refer to: People *Rosa (given name) * Rosa (surname) *Santa Rosa (female given name from Latin-a latinized variant of Rose) Places * 223 Rosa, an asteroid *Rosa, Alabama, a town, United States * Rosa, Germany, in Thuringia, ...

: Maria Pelosi *

Antonio Petrocelli Antonio Petrocelli (born 18 September 1953) is an Italian actor. Partial filmography Film * '' The Pool Hustlers'' (1982) * '' The Eyes, the Mouth'' (1982) * '' Secrets Secrets'' (1985) * '' Il tenente dei carabinieri'' (1986) * ''The Strangene ...

: Tommaso Spaltro *

Ivano Marescotti Ivano Marescotti (4 February 1946 – 26 March 2023) was an Italian actor and theatre director. Life and career Born in Villanova di Bagnacavallo, province of Ravenna, Marescotti worked as a clerk in the urban sector of the Councillorship of ...

: a customer of Spaltro *

Claudio Amendola Claudio Amendola (born 16 February 1963) is an Italian actor, director and television presenter. He starred in the 1993 film '' The Escort'', which was entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. Biography Born in Rome and the son of actors and ...

: "Trepalle" * Enzo Marcelli: Braciola * Simone Melis: Bracioletta *

Adriana Asti Adriana Asti (born 30 April 1931) is an Italian stage, film, and voice actress. Biography On stage, she starred in ''Saint Joan'' by George Bernard Shaw, ''Happy Days'' by Samuel Beckett, ''The Mistress of the Inn'' by Carlo Goldoni, and ''Three ...

: teacher *

Toni Bertorelli Toni Bertorelli (18 March 1948 – 26 May 2017) was an Italian actor. He performed in over sixty films. Biography Bertorelli was born in Barge, Piedmont, Italy. Bertorelli began his acting career in 1969 working with his friend Carlo Cecchi. H ...

: inspector Pigna *

Francesco Siciliano Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), seve ...

: journalist *

(archival footage) *

Ninetto Davoli Giovanni "Ninetto" Davoli (born 11 October 1948) is an Italian actor who became known through his roles in several of Pier Paolo Pasolini's films. Biography Davoli was born in San Pietro a Maida, Calabria. He was discovered by poet, novelist ...

(archival footage)

References

External links

* *
''Who Killed Pasolini?''
at

Variety Distribution Variety Distribution is an Italian-based film distribution company. It distributes Italian films worldwide, produced from the 1930s onward. History Variety Distribution (formerly Variety Film and Variety Communications) has been in the film ...

1995 films 1995 crime drama films Italian crime drama films Italian LGBT-related films Films directed by Marco Tullio Giordana Films scored by Ennio Morricone Italian films based on actual events Courtroom films 1990s legal films Pier Paolo Pasolini 1990s Italian-language films 1990s Italian films Cultural depictions of Italian men {{crime-drama-film-stub