An Italian director, writer, and actor, born in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Pasolini began writing poems at the age of seven and was an avid reader of poetry and literature. He studied at the Literature College at the University of Bologna. He then published his poems at his own expense, then worked as a photographer in a newspaper for a period of time. In 1955, he published his first novel, "Ragazzi di vita". He entered the field of cinema in 1954 by writing the movie The River Girl. He made his directorial debut in Accattone (1961). He won many important awards in major film festivals. His notable films include Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) and The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964). He died on November 2, 1975, in Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy, where he was killed by unknown persons and for unknown reasons.