Notes Towards an African Orestes (1970)
"Appunti per un'Orestiade africana" (original title)

The director presents takes and scenes filmed on location in Africa for a film-that-never-was, a black Oresteia.

Director:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Writer:

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Stars:

Gato Barbieri, Donald F. Moye, Marcello Melis

Cast

Cast overview:
Gato Barbieri	...	Himself - Musician: saxophone
Donald F. Moye	...	Himself - Musican: drums
Marcello Melis	...	Himself - Musician: contrabasse
Yvonne Murray	...	Herself - singer
Archie Savage	...	Himself - Singer

Storyline

The director presents takes and scenes filmed on location in Africa for a film-that-never-was, a black Oresteia.

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Plot Keywords:

africa | location scout | athens greece | jazz | trojan war | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

29 November 1975 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Notes for an African Orestes

Filming Locations:

Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

IDI Cinematografica, I Film Dell'Orso, Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min 71 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Testament (1988)

User Reviews

Alternately fascinating and dull

It's always a little trying when pretentious film intellectuals make something like "Notes For an African Orestes." The film is about a film that was never made, Pasolini's retelling the Greek legend of Orestes in modern continental Africa. Basically, it's a film composed of beautiful black and white images with an American narrator (representative of Pasolini) narrating over about how the images will fit into his film. It's not a documentary or a feature film, the narrator states in the beginning, merely notes. He films a man and says "perhaps this will be Orestes." A woman: "perhaps this will be my Electra." It really is an odd little intellectual exercise and the viewer pretty much has to imagine what the film will look like himself based on Pasolini's sketches - that is, presuming that the viewer cares at all. If you're a Pasolini fan this would likely appeal more to you. It's a film of many ideas, the work of a real visionary, but whether or not you're willing to go along for the ride is the only real way to determine whether "Notes For an African Orestes" is genius or c**p.

Personally, I found it to be a little of both.