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Pompei: Below the Clouds

Play trailer 1:33 Poster for Pompei: Below the Clouds In Theaters Mar 6 1h 55m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 18 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
From award-winning filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi comes Pompei: Below the Clouds, a striking portrait of life in Naples, a city living in the shadow of Vesuvius. Beneath the quiet threat of eruption, people go about their days: archaeologists unearth the past, children learn as the earth hums, firefighters wait for the next call. The result is a portrait at once local and universal: a reflection on humanity's capacity to live, love, and rebuild in the shadow of the unimaginable.
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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

Critics Reviews

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Robert Daniels RogerEbert.com Oct 27
In a sense, by locking his contemporary documentary in this rich black and white photography, director Gianfranco Rosi has also put his film along those. Go to Full Review Nick James Sight & Sound Oct 24
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. Go to Full Review Marshall Shaffer Slant Magazine Sep 9
Gianfranco Rosi’s film leaves us with a haunting sense of life in Naples existing in a liminal state. Go to Full Review Ryan Swen Taipei Mansions Dec 24
Many of these storylines are of sufficient interest that an entire (albeit shorter) documentary could be made about each of them, but Below the Clouds is most in thrall to the push-pull of the past and present. Go to Full Review James Mottram Radio Times Nov 11
4/5
The result is a curious piece that encourages the viewer to make connections between the ancient and modern worlds. Go to Full Review Helen Hawkins The Arts Desk Oct 20
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
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Pompei: Below the Clouds

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Pompei: Below the Clouds

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Movie Info

Synopsis From award-winning filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi comes Pompei: Below the Clouds, a striking portrait of life in Naples, a city living in the shadow of Vesuvius. Beneath the quiet threat of eruption, people go about their days: archaeologists unearth the past, children learn as the earth hums, firefighters wait for the next call. The result is a portrait at once local and universal: a reflection on humanity's capacity to live, love, and rebuild in the shadow of the unimaginable.
Director
Gianfranco Rosi
Producer
Donatella Palermo, Gianfranco Rosi, Paolo Del Brocco
Screenwriter
Gianfranco Rosi, Gianfranco Rosi
Distributor
MUBI
Production Co
RAI Cinema, 21uno Film, Stemal Entertainment
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 6, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 55m