Two years ago, TIFF's senior programmer James Quandt mounted a complete retrospective of French master Robert Bresson, titling the series The Poetry of Precision. Now comes a likewise complete retrospective of Bresson's contemporary, the equally masterful Italian director and theorist, Pier Paolo Pasolini - the Poet of Contamination. If you've seen Pasolini's late work (his Trilogy of Life, Salò), you'll have a sense of the sort of abject contaminants being referred to. But his work wasn't always basking in carnality and provocation.

His roots are in Italian neorealism, and some of his films (viz., The Gospel According to St. Matthew) are as spiritual and moving as anything in Bresson's oeuvre. The retrospective will be presented in chronological order (as all retros should be), and comprised mostly of newly-struck 35mm prints (as all retros should be), so now is the time to fill in any of your Pasolini gaps.

This Week's Pasolini screenings:

• Mamma Roma (Saturday, March 8 at 4PM)
• Accattone
• Medea (Thursday, March 13 at 6:30PM)

Pier Paolo Pasolini: The Poet of Contamination runs March 8 - April 12th at TIFF Bell Lightbox.