Pasolini, Pier PaoloPas‧o‧li‧ni, Pier Pao‧lo /ˌpæsəˈliːni, pjeə ˈpaʊləʊ $ pjeər-/(1922–75) an Italian film director, poet, and writer, who was murdered on a beach near Rome. He was known for being a communist and a homosexual, and he used his films to criticize society. His films include Oedipus Rex (1967) and Medea (1970).