Below the Clouds

Australian Premiere

“Poetic, visually arresting … gifted by Rosi’s own beautiful, high contrast, black-and-white cinematography, and his fondness for the city lit up at night.” – Sight and Sound

Naples is a bustling city whose inhabitants live under the ever-present shadow of Mount Vesuvius, regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. This sublime observational documentary portrait of the city is a rich tapestry of Neapolitans going about their daily lives with the ubiquitous presence of potential environmental catastrophe. We witness emergency line call centre workers answering anxious questions about earthquakes; Syrian workers at the ports unloading shipping containers full of Ukrainian grain; a teacher running extra-curricular classes for children in the local library; Japanese archaeologists working gently on a dig, unearthing artefacts from the ruins of Pompeii.

Below the Clouds was captured over three years in luminous black and white by Golden Bear-winning director Gianfranco Rosi (Notturno, Fire at Sea), who is also the film’s cinematographer. Its stunning imagery depicts a fascinating part of the world where past, present and future seem to co-exist all at once. Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist, The Testament of Ann Lee) provides the sparse and haunting score.

Festivals & Awards

Venice Film Festival 2025 – Winner, Special Jury Prize
Toronto International Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection
BFI London Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection
New York Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection