{{Short description|Italian film producer and director}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = Count | name = Uberto Pasolini | image = Uberto Pasolini Dall'Onda.JPG | image_size = | alt = | caption = Pasolini at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, July 2014 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|05|01|df=y}} | birth_place = Rome, Italy | known_for = ''The Full Monty'' (1997)<br />''Machan'' (2008)<br />''Still Life'' (2013) | occupation = Film producer, director, former investment banker | years_active = | spouse = {{marriage|Rachel Portman|1995|2006|reason=divorced}} | children = 3 | relatives = Luchino Visconti (granduncle) <br> Eriprando Visconti (first cousin once removed) }}
'''Count Uberto Pasolini Dall'Onda'''<ref name="credo">{{Cite web |title=Portman, Rachel Mary Berkeley OBE (2010) |url=https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDM0NTE2Mg==?q=uberto%20pasolini |url-access=subscription |access-date=8 September 2025 |website=Credo Reference}}</ref> (born 1 May 1957{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}}) is an Italian film producer, director, and former investment banker known for producing the 1997 film ''The Full Monty'' and directing and producing the 2008 film ''Machan'' and the 2013 film ''Still Life''.
== Early years == Pasolini was born in Rome in 1957 to Count Pier Maria Pasolini dell’Onda and Violante Visconti di Modrone, a member of the noble Visconti di Modrone family. His parents divorced around the 1970s. His mother then married media publisher and aristocrat Prince Carlo Caracciolo in 1996 until her death in 2000, due to ovarian cancer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colacello |first=Bob |date=2013-08-08 |title=The Mysterious Heirs of Italian Prince Carlo Caracciolo |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/12/heirs-carlo-caracciolo-italy |access-date=2026-02-24 |website=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.myheritage.com/names/violante_visconti%20di%20modrone |access-date=2026-02-24 |website=www.myheritage.com}}</ref> He grew up in Milan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pasquino |first=Samuele |date=20 December 2024 |title=Uberto Pasolini: chi è il regista autore di Itaca – Il Ritorno |url=https://www.recencinema.it/cinefocus/uberto-pasolini-chi-e-il-regista-autore-di-itaca-il-ritorno/ |access-date=8 September 2025 |website=Recencinema.it |language=Italian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunaccia |first=Cesare |date=26 September 2014 |title=Violante Visconti di Modrone |url=https://www.vogue.it/magazine/v50/violante-visconti-di-modrone-by-cesare-cunaccia |access-date=8 September 2025 |website=Vogue Italia |language=Italian}}</ref><ref name="Film Journal" /> He is the grandnephew of filmmaker Luchino Visconti through his mother and the first cousin once removed of Eriprando Visconti.
==Career== Pasolini studied at Atlantic College in Wales and at the London School of Economics,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aesthetica Magazine - Solitude Abandoned |url=https://aestheticamagazine.com/solitude-abandoned/ |access-date=2022-11-03 |website=Aesthetica Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Uberto Pasolini - film producer and director |url=https://www.italyonthisday.com/2019/05/uberto-pasolini-film-producer-and.html |access-date=2022-11-03}}</ref> and then worked as an investment banker in England for 12 years.<ref name="Charles Kipps" />
He wished to work on the film ''The Killing Fields'', was interviewed by David Puttnam, and was rejected. When Puttnam went to Bangkok to shoot the film, Pasolini bought his own ticket and presented himself on set seeking work. Puttnam was impressed by this persistence and brought him on board the project.<ref name="Charles Kipps" /> Pasolini subsequently acted as location scout for ''The Killing Fields'' (1984), ''The Frog Prince'', and ''The Mission'' (1986).<ref name="TCM" /> He was an assistant director with producer's duties on ''The Frog Prince''<ref name="Jim Clark" /> (for which he also assisted in translations while shooting in Paris),<ref name="Andrew Yule" /> and ''The Mission''.<ref name="Charles Kipps" />
Pasolini moved to Los Angeles when Puttnam was appointed as head of Columbia Pictures, and was vice president of production, and in 1988 oversaw production of both David Mamet's ''Things Change'' and Emir Kusturica's ''Time of the Gypsies''. Later in 1988, Pasolini returned to London and rejoined Enigma Films to serve as associate producer on ''Meeting Venus'' (1991),<ref name="TCM" /> and as producer on ''A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia'' for an episode of the TV series ''Great Performances''.<ref name="The New York Times" /> In 1994, Pasolini left Enigma and founded Redwave Films as a production company to produce the film ''Palookaville'', for which he chose David Epstein to write the screenplay and Alan Taylor to direct.<ref name="Philadelphia Inquirer" />
In 1997, Pasolini received international recognition as producer of the film ''The Full Monty''.<ref name="The Mirror" /> He conceived the idea for the film and chose Simon Beaufoy to write the screenplay and Peter Cattaneo to direct.<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram" /> In 2000, Pasolini asked Aileen Ritchie to direct<ref name="Contemporary British and Irish film directors" /> the William Ivory film ''The Closer You Get'',<ref name="The Telegraph" /> and in 2001 produced ''The Emperor's New Clothes''.<ref name="Film Journal" />
Pasolini's next film was inspired by a real event.<ref name="Sunday Times2" /> In 2004, in order to get visas granting them access to an international handball tournament being held in Bavaria, 23 Sri Lankan men fooled the German embassy in Colombo into believing they were the Sri Lanka National Handball team.<ref name="Sunday Times" /> The men then travelled to Germany on the pretext of taking part in the sports tournament, but were in fact seeking to emigrate.<ref name="BBC News" /> They postponed their escape and actually took part in several handball matches held by the Asian-German Sports Exchange Program before vanishing.<ref name="Sunday Times" /> When Pasolini heard of the incident, he decided to make it into a film to promote discussion on the issue of illegal immigration,<ref name="Sunday Times2" /> and in 2008 he released the critically acclaimed ''Machan'', marking his directorial debut.<ref name="The Telegraph" /><ref name="Sunday Times2" />
Following ''Machan'' was Pasolini's Redwave Films production, ''Bel Ami'',<ref name="Variety" /> starring Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Christina Ricci,<ref name="Collider" /> which was based upon the novel of the same name by Guy de Maupassant. The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2012.
The 2013 film ''Still Life'', starring Eddie Marsan and Joanne Froggatt, is his second film as director.
== Personal life == In 1995, Pasolini married the composer Rachel Portman, with whom he has worked on several of his film projects.<ref name="TCM" /> The two have three children.<ref name="filmreference.com" /><ref name="filmmusic" /><ref name=credo /> They divorced in 2006.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}}
==Filmography== '''As producer''' * ''Meeting Venus'' (1991) * ''Great Performances'' (1 episode, 1992) (TV) * ''Palookaville'' (1995) * ''The Full Monty'' (1997) * ''The Closer You Get'' (2000) * ''The Emperor's New Clothes'' (2001) * ''Machan'' (2008) * ''Bel Ami'' (2011) * ''Still Life'' (2013)
'''Third assistant director''' * ''The Frog Prince'' (1986) * ''The Mission'' (1986)
'''As writer/director''' * ''Machan'' (2008) * ''Still Life'' (2013) * ''Nowhere Special'' (2020)<ref name="Cineuropa – the best of european cinema 2019">{{cite web |title=Nowhere Special |website=Cineuropa – the best of european cinema |date=2019-09-04 |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/film/390366/ |access-date=2020-07-28}}</ref><ref name="Northern Ireland Screen 2020">{{cite web |title=Nowhere Special selected for Venice Film Festival |website=Northern Ireland Screen |date=2020-07-28 |url=https://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/news/nowhere-special-selected-venice-film-festival/ |access-date=2020-07-28}}</ref> * ''The Return'' (2024)
==Recognition==
===Awards and nominations=== * 1997, Won European Film Award for Best Film for ''The Full Monty''<ref name="Sri Lanka Reporter1"/> * 1998, Won BAFTA Film Award for Best Film for ''The Full Monty''<ref name="BAFTA"/> * 1998, Won Nova Award for Most Promising Producer in Theatrical Motion Pictures for ''The Full Monty'' * 1998, Won ALFS Award for British Producer of the Year for ''Palookaville'' and ''The Full Monty'' * 1998, nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture from for ''The Full Monty'' * 1998, nomination for Golden Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for ''The Full Monty'' * 1998, nominated for Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for ''The Full Monty'' * 1998, nominated for Australian Film Institute Award Best Foreign Film Award for ''The Full Monty'' * 2008, Won FEDIC Award at Venice Film Festival<ref name="SIFF"/> * 2008, Won Label Europa Cinemas Award for Best European film at Venice Film Festival for ''Machan''<ref name="CNN" /> * 2008, Won Audience Award at Kerala International Film Festival for ''Machan'' * 2008, Nominated for International Jury Award at São Paulo International Film Festival for ''Machan'' * 2009, Won Audience Award for Best Film at Transilvania International Film Festival for ''Machan'' * 2009, Won Best Feature Film at Palm Beach International Film Festival for ''Machan'' * 2009, Won Best Screenplay at Durban International Film Festival for ''Machan'' * 2009, Won Golden Iris for Best Film at Brussels European Film Festival for ''Machan'' * 2009, Won RTBF TV Prize for Best Picture at Brussels European Film Festival for ''Machan'' * 2009, Won Award of the Mayor of the City of Trenčín at Art Film Festival for ''Machan'' * 2010, Won Best Film of the Year at the Sarasaviya Awards for ''Machan''<ref name="Sri Lanka Reporter2" />
==References== <references>
<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2008/08/080831_machan_venice | title=''Machan'' in Venice Festival | access-date=25 March 2011 | author=Vincent Dowd | date=31 August 2008 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE4D91E30F935A35756C0A964958260 | title=6 May 1992 | access-date=23 March 2011 | author=John J. O'Connor | date=6 May 1992 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
<ref name="Philadelphia Inquirer">{{cite news | url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB32E0754312B65&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | title=A Comical Look at Tough Guys' Tough Times | access-date=23 March 2011 | date=28 November 1996 | work=The Philadelphia Inquirer | archive-date=25 October 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025024748/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB32E0754312B65&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="Fort Worth Star-Telegram">{{cite news | url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF913A2AACE534&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | title=Bare facts about ''The Full Monty'' | access-date=23 March 2011 | date=23 September 1997 | work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram | archive-date=25 October 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025024827/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF913A2AACE534&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="Sri Lanka Reporter1">{{cite news | url=http://lankareporter.com/lr/2010/02/16/%E2%80%98machan%E2%80%99-grabs-major-honours-at-sarasaviya-film-awards/ | title=Interview: Making ''Machan'' | access-date=26 March 2011 | author=Mahesh Abeyewardene | date=16 February 2010 | work=Sri Lanka Reporter | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819193731/http://lankareporter.com/lr/2010/02/16/%E2%80%98machan%E2%80%99-grabs-major-honours-at-sarasaviya-film-awards/ | archive-date=19 August 2011 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
<ref name="Sri Lanka Reporter2">{{cite news | url=http://lankareporter.com/lr/2010/02/16/%E2%80%98machan%E2%80%99-grabs-major-honours-at-sarasaviya-film-awards/ | title=''Machan'' grabs major honours at Sarasaviya Film Awards | access-date=22 March 2011 | date=16 February 2010 | work=Sri Lanka Reporter | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819193731/http://lankareporter.com/lr/2010/02/16/%E2%80%98machan%E2%80%99-grabs-major-honours-at-sarasaviya-film-awards/ | archive-date=19 August 2011 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
<ref name="CNN">{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/screening.room/blog/labels/venice%20film%20festival.html | title=''Machan'' wins Europa Cinemas prize at Venice | access-date=22 March 2011 | author=Mairi Mackay | date=5 September 2008 |publisher=CNN}}</ref>
<ref name="Andrew Yule">{{cite book | title=Fast fade: David Puttnam, Columbia Pictures, and the battle for Hollywood | author=Andrew Yule | year=1989 | publisher=Delacorte Press|isbn=0-440-50177-6 | url=https://archive.org/details/fastfadedavidput00yulerich| url-access=registration | quote=Uberto Pasolini. }}</ref>
<ref name="Jim Clark">{{cite book | title=Dream Repairman | author=Jim Clark | date=10 July 2012 | publisher=eBookIt | isbn=978-0-9845129-4-2}}</ref>
<ref name="Charles Kipps">{{cite book | title=Out of Focus: Power, Pride and Prejudice – David Puttnam in Hollywood | author=Charles Kipps | year=1990 | publisher=Century | isbn=0-7126-3911-X | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/outoffocuspowerp0000kipp }}</ref>
<ref name="TCM">{{cite web | url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/513493%7C0/Uberto-Pasolini/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023043645/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/513493%7C0/Uberto-Pasolini/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=23 October 2012 | title=Uberto Pasolini bio | access-date=24 March 2011 | work=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref>
<ref name="The Mirror">{{cite news|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-61060803|title=Half Monty: It would have been such a flop...|last=Polly|first=Graham|date=25 October 1997|work=Daily Mirror|access-date=24 March 2011}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
<ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/3559554/Venice-Film-Festival-interview-Uberto-Pasolini.html#|title=Venice Film Festival interview: Uberto Pasolini|first=David|last=Gritten|date=1 September 2008|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|access-date=24 March 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="filmreference.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/38/Rachel-Portman.html|title=Rachel Portman Biography (1960–)|publisher=filmreference.com|access-date=24 March 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="filmmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmmusic.dk/index.php?side=rachelportman&l=uk |title=Rachel Portman | publisher=filmmusic.com|access-date=24 March 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="Sunday Times">{{cite news | url=http://sundaytimes.lk/080803/TV/sundaytvtimes_07.html | title=''Machan'' marks debut in Venice | access-date=25 March 2011 | author=Susitha R. Fernando | date=3 August 2008 |work=The Sunday Times}}</ref>
<ref name="Sunday Times2">{{cite news | url=http://sundaytimes.lk/081005/Plus/sundaytimesplus_11.html | title=Making of ''Machan'': From real life to reel life | access-date=25 March 2011 | author=Smriti Daniel | date=5 October 2008 |work=The Sunday Times}}</ref>
<ref name="Contemporary British and Irish film directors">{{cite book | title=Contemporary British and Irish film directors: a wallflower critical guide |author1=Yoram Allon |author2=Del Cullen |author3=Hannah Patterson | year=2001 | publisher=Wallflower Press|isbn=1-903364-21-3}}</ref>
<ref name="Film Journal">{{cite web | url=http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000692861 | title=An Emperor's Odyssey | access-date=25 March 2011 | author=Maria Garcia | date=1 July 2002 | work=Film Journal International |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102165359/http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000692861 |archive-date=January 2, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="Collider">{{cite news|url=https://collider.com/casting-complete-on-bel-ami-robert-pattinson-uma-thurman-kristin-scott-thomas-and-christina-ricci-to-star/|title=Casting Complete on BEL AMI – Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christina Ricci to Star|last=Steve Weintraub|date=2 February 2010|publisher=Collider|access-date=26 March 2011|archive-date=18 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018231844/http://collider.com/casting-complete-on-bel-ami-robert-pattinson-uma-thurman-kristin-scott-thomas-and-christina-ricci-to-star/15519/|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Variety">{{cite news|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003932?refCatId=3628|title=Rob Pattinson to star in ''Bel Ami''|last=Carole Horst|date=19 May 2009|work=Variety|access-date=26 March 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="BAFTA">{{cite web | url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/nominations/?year=1997 | title=Film Nominations/Wins 1997 | access-date=26 March 2011 | work=BAFTA | archive-date=10 January 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110075720/http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/nominations/?year=1997 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="SIFF">{{cite web | url=http://www.siff.net/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=28829&FID=123 | title=''Machan'' | access-date=26 March 2011 | publisher=Seattle International Film Festival | archive-date=5 January 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105140155/http://www.siff.net/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=28829&FID=123 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
</references>
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0664667|Uberto Pasolini}}
{{Uberto Pasolini}} {{BAFTA Best Film recipients}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pasolini, Uberto}} Category:1957 births Category:Living people Category:Producers who won the Best Film BAFTA Award Category:Italian expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Italian film directors Category:Italian film producers Category:Italian screenwriters Category:Italian male screenwriters Category:Writers from Rome Category:People educated at Atlantic College