Fire At Sea
A masterly work of documentary filmmaking about the Mediterranean island at the epicentre of the refugee crisis in Europe.
Lampedusa, off the coast of Sicily, has been overwhelmed by boats of African and Middle Eastern people seeking asylum in Europe. Through quiet observation of a centuries-old seafaring community and in particular a fisherman’s son, the film reveals the consequences of this humanitarian crisis in a profoundly personal and humanist way.
Fire at Sea received the Berlinale Golden Bear for Best Film in 2016, and director Gianfranco Rosi (whose previous accolades include the 2013 Venice Golden Lion for Sacro GRA) has been called ‘a new significant force in European cinema’ by The Guardian. Rosi earns the acclaim in Fire at Sea, a naturalistic portrait of a people and place dealing with exceptional circumstances.
The film is also a sobering call for reflection on the border protection policies being enforced by governments worldwide.
“With its emphasis on the quotidian, the film reclaims an ongoing tragedy from the abstract sensationalism of media headlines” New York Film Festival