"Rosi’s individual images are always calm and often acutely beautiful... But his secret weapon is juxtaposition, and as these seemingly disparate scenarios unfold one after the other, a sense
of deeper meaning gradually accrues"
★
★
★
★
Daily Telegraph
“Devastating and surprisingly delicate” The New York Times
BIFA Nominated for Best International Independent Film
Shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature for the 93rd
Academy Awards®
MUBI, the global distributor and curated film streaming service, has launched the UK trailer for Gianfranco Rosi’s striking and powerful new film NOTTURNO, which will be released exclusively on MUBI from 5 March 2021 in the UK, Ireland, India, and Latin America.
The film, which premiered and won three awards at the Venice Film Festival before screening at the Toronto Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival is the latest work from Gianfranco Rosi, the filmmaker behind the Berlin Golden Bear winning film FIRE AT SEA.
NOTTURNO is a sweeping depiction of three turbulent years in the heart of Middle Eastern war zones, observing the devastating toll being taken on civilian populations who have no choice but to live on the frontlines. As intimate as it is profoundly moving, the film is an urgent cinematic achievement from a master of the documentary form.
Told using footage captured from the borders of Iran, Kurdistan, Syria and Lebanon, the film depicts the everyday struggles of people attempting to rebuild their lives amongst the devastating effects of civil wars, dictatorships, foreign invasions, and the deadly presence of ISIS. Rosi foregrounds simple acts of humanity found within the most violent of settings, from a Tazisi mother’s anguish over her kidnapped daughter, to female Peshmerga guerrillas defending their battle stations, and a teenager’s daily toil to feed his family.
Utilising breathtaking cinematography, NOTTURNO is a staggering cinematic journey of intimate moments and luminous images, told with compassion, grace and humanism. Rosi’s latest gives voice to a human drama that transcends geographical divisions.
NOTTURNO is released on MUBI from 5 March 2021 in the UK, Ireland, India, and Latin America.