The Passion of Reality: Documentary Film Retrospective of Pier Paolo Pasolini

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The Hong Kong Arts Centre co-presents with the Italian Institute Hong Kong & Macau, The Passion of Reality: Documentary Film Retrospective of Pier Paolo Pasolini at the Louis Koo Cinema of the Hong Kong Arts Centre for the screenings of Pasolini, 12 December, Notes Towards an African Orestes, Love Meetings, The Anger, The Walls of Sana’a, etc. This programme is part of the annual Italia Mia Festival.

To celebrate the centenary of his birth, the Hong Kong Arts Centre is proud to present the most comprehensive retrospective of documentaries by the late Pier Paolo Pasolini in Hong Kong.

One of the most prolific intellectuals of his time, Pasolini was more than just a filmmaker; he was also a writer, a journalist, a visual artist, an actor and an activist whose persona was just as loud as his films. As much as his fictional films conveyed and reflected his internal dichotomies – namely a Marxist who also often looked to religion for inspiration – his documentaries offer much-needed insight into the mind of the man who created some of the most controversial films ever made. More importantly, they serve as companion pieces to Pasolini’s fictional films, reinterpreting his creative concerns in real world terms.

While Love Meetings reflected his passion for all things regarding sex, 12 December – produced for left-wing militant group Lotta Continua – and his half of The Anger saw Pasolini put his passion as a political activist front and centre. Location Hunting in Palestine offers a rare look at Pasolini in his element, searching for shooting locations in Palestine while his narration offers musings on the teachings of Christ and his thoughts on the land he is visiting. The programme even includes four short documentaries that were inspired by Pasolini’s writings, two of which are directed by the first Italian woman documentary filmmaker, Cecilia Mangini, showing Pasolini’s widespread influence on his fellow artists.