Pompei: Below the Clouds Review – Gianfranco Rosi Gorgeously Captures Life Lived in Liminal Space

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Italian filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi often focuses on places that exist in-between – spaces of transition and uncertainty. His well-known film, Fire at Sea, explored the lives of migrants, people who aren’t fully settled anywhere and are constantly on the move. Notturno humanized those affected by war. But perhaps nowhere is this sense of impermanence stronger than in Naples. Residents live with the constant danger of a volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius, surrounded by the ancient ruins of Pompeii and reminders of past destruction. Recently, city leaders have even offered incentives for people to relocate, but very few have taken them up.

Rosi’s latest video essay explores the uneasy feeling of living with constant uncertainty. It focuses on how acutely this is felt in many European cities, where modern buildings stand alongside ruins from World War II and even older historical damage, a reminder of both human and natural disasters. Residents live with the ever-present threat of events like volcanic eruptions, which dwarf the earthquake risks faced in places like California.

Below the Clouds Beautifully Captures The Specificity of Naples’ Niche Existence

The film explores a diverse and unusual world by following several compelling stories, each of which could stand alone as its own documentary. We see an archaeologist sifting through forgotten artifacts, a bookstore owner who also helps people in the community, Middle Eastern migrants briefly staying in Naples before being sent back to Ukraine, a Japanese team excavating Pompeii, and the overwhelmed emergency services of the city.

Rosi also examines what cinema itself preserves as history. Throughout the film, beautifully shot in striking black and white, she frequently revisits an empty cinema showing various images of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. She specifically references Journey to Italy, alongside earlier documentaries that reflect on the destruction of this ancient location.

Fabrizio Federico’s Below the Clouds is visually stunning. The film is expertly edited, creating a dynamic interplay of contrasts and comparisons. It juxtaposes urgent calls to emergency services with sweeping shots of a crowded city, highlighting the residents’ anxiety over even minor earthquakes. The film explores the tension and fear of a potential major event, while also finding moments of dark humor, like an elderly woman arguing with firefighters trying to enter her home.

The film Below the Clouds feels representative of life itself. Don’t we all simply go about our daily routines – eating, learning, appreciating beauty – even as anxieties about climate change grow? However, the film’s ambitious and complex approach sometimes works against it. Its length demands a lot of focus from the viewer, preventing it from fully connecting emotionally. Despite this, the film possesses a powerful, resonant beauty, especially through the thoughtful reflections of an archivist who contemplates time while organizing a collection of sculptures and broken stone fragments.

This space feels outside of time, blending past, present, and forgotten moments – a fitting reflection of time itself and the weight of human history, all collected here. The documentary Below the Clouds is exceptional in its ability to make time feel fluid and interconnected. Director Rosi masterfully weaves together different eras within a single shot, placing viewers simultaneously in the past, present, and future. It’s a powerful cinematic experience that brings history to life and allows us to connect with those who came before.

Pompei: Below the Clouds opens in New York on March 6th before a nation-wide rollout on March 13th.

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2026-03-07 00:20