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“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”
the global streaming service and theatrical distributor, is pleased to announce that Gianfranco Rosi’s striking and powerful new film NOTTURNO will be released exclusively on MUBI from 5 March 2021 in the UK, Ireland, India, LATAM, and Turkey.
The film, which premiered and won three awards at Venice Film Festival before screening at Toronto Film Festival, New York Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival, is the Italian entry for the Academy Awards 2021 and nominated for Best International Independent Film at the BIFA awards, and 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.
