Pier Paolo Pasolini, La Ricotta
Screening
Out of Competition
La ricotta (a curd cheese) is a short film written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1962 and is part of the omnibus film Ro.Go.Pa.G. It is often considered the most memorable portion of Ro.Go.Pa.G and the height of Pasolini’s creative powers and social criticism. La ricotta tells the story of filming a movie about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at a slightly hilly waste ground near a residential area. The main character is a simple man playing a bit part – one of the two men who were crucified with Christ.
Pasolini, in a disclaimer tacked in the beginning, affirms that the event narrated, the Passion, is the greatest event ever occurred, and stressed that he held in great respect the Christian heritage. Despite this assertion, Pasolini was accused of holding contempt for the state religion and was sentenced four months of conviction, which he avoided by paying a fine. The sentence was later declared void by an appeals court.
