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Below the Clouds

Play trailer Below the Clouds 2025 1h 55m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 15 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
Between Mount Vesuvius and the Gulf of Naples, the ground shakes periodically and the fumaroles of the Phlegraean Fields taint the air. From the traces of history, memories of the subterranean world, and the concerns of the present, in black and white, a lesser-known Naples emerges and fills with voices, with lives. Below the clouds lies a territory crisscrossed by locals, worshippers, tourists, and archaeologists excavating a past that in museums will give new life and meaning to statues, fragments, and ruins. The train that rings Vesuvius makes its rounds as racehorses train along the shore. A teacher runs a makeshift afterschool for children and adolescents. Firemen in their command center calm the fears of the locals who call in, law enforcement tracks down tomb robbers, while in the port of Torre Annunziata, Syrian tankers unload Ukrainian grain. The land that skirts the gulf is a vast time machine.

Critics Reviews

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Nick James Sight & Sound It has a sepulchral melancholy to it, gifted by Rosi’s own beautiful, high contrast, black-and-white cinematography, and his fondness for the city lit up at night. It is even a touch funereal. Oct 24, 2025 Full Review Marshall Shaffer Slant Magazine Gianfranco Rosi’s film leaves us with a haunting sense of life in Naples existing in a liminal state. Sep 9, 2025 Full Review Rafa Sales Ross Little White Lies Longtime Rosi fans already familiar with the rhythms of the Italian filmmaker, are in for a beautiful, sprawling treat. Sep 5, 2025 Full Review Helen Hawkins The Arts Desk There is little that’s predictable or touristic in this portrait (no pizza!): it’s a haunting journey into the psyche of this resonant place. Oct 20, 2025 Full Review Luke Hicks The Film Stage Guided by Rosi’s meditation and contemplative control, this is among the year’s best documentaries. Oct 20, 2025 Full Review Kaveh Jalinous Under the Radar Gianfranco Rosi’s filmmaking style feels like that of the future, a revolutionary storytelling style that truly breathes life into a style that could use some of it. Rated: 8/10 Oct 13, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Gianfranco Rosi

Director

Gianfranco Rosi

Writer

Gianfranco Rosi

Cinematographer

Gianfranco Rosi

Film Editor

Fabrizio Federico

Film Editor

Donatella Palermo

Producer
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Below the Clouds

Below the Clouds (2025) Below the Clouds (2025) Below the Clouds (2025) Below the Clouds (2025) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Between Mount Vesuvius and the Gulf of Naples, the ground shakes periodically and the fumaroles of the Phlegraean Fields taint the air. From the traces of history, memories of the subterranean world, and the concerns of the present, in black and white, a lesser-known Naples emerges and fills with voices, with lives. Below the clouds lies a territory crisscrossed by locals, worshippers, tourists, and archaeologists excavating a past that in museums will give new life and meaning to statues, fragments, and ruins. The train that rings Vesuvius makes its rounds as racehorses train along the shore. A teacher runs a makeshift afterschool for children and adolescents. Firemen in their command center calm the fears of the locals who call in, law enforcement tracks down tomb robbers, while in the port of Torre Annunziata, Syrian tankers unload Ukrainian grain. The land that skirts the gulf is a vast time machine.
Director
Gianfranco Rosi
Producer
Donatella Palermo, Gianfranco Rosi, Paolo Del Brocco
Screenwriter
Gianfranco Rosi, Gianfranco Rosi
Production Co
RAI Cinema, 21uno Film, Stemal Entertainment
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
Italian
Runtime
1h 55m