Pier Paolo Pasolini (Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, March 5, 1922 - Ostia, Lazio, November 2, 1975) was an Italian writer, poet and film director. He is one of the most recognized artists of his generation, as well as one of the most revered filmmakers in his country. He also distinguished himself as an actor, journalist, philosopher, novelist, dramatist, painter and political figure. Even today he is considered a controversial character in Italy, due to his forceful style and the sexual theme of some of his works, considered taboo, but which established him as a leading figure in European literature and film arts. His murder caused a great commotion in Italy and the rest of the world. The authorship and the circumstances were never clarified, and at the time they were the subject of heated debates, which persist to this day.