Pompei: Below the Clouds, The Intricate Universe of Naples

By José Alberto Hermosillo

AFI FEST REVIEW: “Pompei: Below the Clouds” is a remarkable achievement in filmmaking, complex and poetic.

Gianfranco Rosi’s acclaimed documentary skillfully weaves together the narratives of archaeologists, law enforcement, young students, a retired teacher doing homework in an old bookstore, an underground preservationist, black-market traffickers, and the engaged community of Naples, Italy.

 

According to Mr. Rosi, “Naples is a complex city that reflects on what it is, what it was, and what it will be.” 

People usually go about their daily lives— but when a chance becomes a necessity and a tremor strikes from nearby Vesuvius or the active Capri Flegrei volcanoes, the emergency services, police and fire department work together to meet the community’s emotional needs and bring calm, whether by phone or in person, by addressing people’s anxiety as humanely as possible. When people feel the need to connect out of fear, it is always precarious.

In the Neapolitan universe, the centuries-old ancient city of Pompei plays an important role in the lives of residents in the area. The greed of the Gomorra mafia, which controls the town’s economy, allows it to steal priceless Roman sculptures and break them into dozens of pieces that are hard to restore and easy to smuggle out of the country.

As this exquisite and somber black-and-white multilinear story unfolds, locals, tourists, educators in a bookshop helping kids with homework, worshippers, Japanese archaeologists, and students meticulously excavating in the fields resurface statues, fragments, and ruins. Then, Ukrainian and Syrian sailors delivering grain in enormous barrels create a moment of trust, something close to Babel’s tower, in analytical thinking.

The volcano destroyed the city of Pompei, yet it also preserved part of its history underground, where archaeologists and bandits work to bring the remains to the surface in their own ways. For example, one with science, the others do so recklessly.

The award-winning documentary was part of the Official Selection at the Venice Film Festival, La Biennale 2025, where it earned the Environmentalist Award and a special mention for Mr. Rosi for the Treatment of Issues Related to the Social Environment. 

Gianfranco Rosi. Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo, FestivalinLA

At the AFI FEST 2025 Q&A, the accomplished Gianfranco Rosi (“In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis,” “Notturno,” “Fire at Sea”) explains that he often begins filming without knowing where the story will take him - the narrative unfolds from the locations, the people, and all the other possible scenarios.

 

He chose a monochromatic palette to enhance the narrative’s poetic quality, an element that seamlessly bridges the present and the past in a timeless documentary.

 

Rosi’s filmmaking style is observational and poetically presents reality, often described as cinéma vérité. The problem is that Rosi does not believe in the genre in which everyone performs on camera. Gianfranco Rosi believes that cinéma vérité is “a manipulation of reality shown to the viewer,” and he does not want to be contaminated by those ideas, labeled, or boxed. This is completely fair for an experienced filmmaker at his level who does everything himself, giving him full control over his work and, above all, freedom of expression that every artist struggles to find.

 

There is an old movie theater that is falling apart, located near the ancient port of Pompei, a few kilometers from Naples, beneath the volcano. The owners let him use the theater for his project. There, he found clips which he projected onto the big screen. For him, film is also an archaeological find, evoking memories of the many movies made in the city and metaphorically linked to ancient Pompeii.

While attending NYU Film School, Gianfranco initiated a project focused on retirees in Miami. During that period, a colleague suggested creating a documentary in Naples. Following that advice, he spent three years producing “Below the Clouds” in that Italian region.

Born in Asmara, Eritrea, to Italian parents, he lived in Turkey and Italy before attending college in the United States. In the field, Gianfranco Rosi operates autonomously, occasionally collaborating with an assistant to form a formidable team.

 

The work he does with his editor, the consultant, and the producer is incredible. It is a metaphorical transformation of reality that elevates “Pompei: Below the Clouds” to a heightened sense of universality.

 

In most of his films, he follows five to six storylines. In his latest project set in the Port of Napoli, he has 10 shorts intertwined, raising the complexity of “Below the Clouds” to a higher standard of difficulty and, at the same time, creativity.

 

The Italian documentary is comparable to a musical score, with elements of silence. Find the right moment to leave everything in suspense and then cut, like the combinations of the Rubik’s Cube. He likes to leave everything open to interpretation for the audience.

 

The collaboration with Academy Award-winning composer Daniel Blumberg (“Brutalists” and “The Testament of Ann Lee”) was close and productive. They worked together for two weeks in his London studio, recording with the saxophone and other instruments that gave his work an atmospheric touch of nostalgia and melancholy.

The only thing Gianfranco believes is on the frame and the person, cinematically speaking. For someone watching the documentary, it will feel like floating, with compelling camerawork and fantastic music, suspended in time and immersed in the Neapolitan community that preserves its past and its modern-day existence.

 

Gianfranco Rosi & critic José Alberto Hermosillo, FestivalinLA

POMPEI: BELOW THE CLOUDS/OFFICIAL TRAILER:

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Fire of Love: The Everlasting Stars of Volcanology

 By José Alberto Hermosillo

Dangerously real and transcendental. “Fire of Love” ignites the lover’s passion for Earth Studies 101 enormously. 

“Fire of Love” is a complete recompilation of materials related to volcano studies collected deep from the archives of Katia & Maurice Krafft. The French couple discovered their magnetism for each other and volcanoes. Attracted by the powerful energy emanating from the Earth’s interior, they defied nature to fulfill their hunger for knowledge. This Academy Award-nominated documentary can help save lives in communities around volcanoes worldwide.

The daredevils of volcanoes are here to enlighten humanity through their amusing discoveries and heart-pounding missions, leaving an everlasting legacy.

This eye-opening documentary summarizes hundreds of hours of invaluable footage, original materials, incredible photos, specific samples collected from locations, and millions of questions.

Before 1966, all we knew about volcanoes was generic. Geology classified volcanoes by region, age, and size—until the Kraffts came with their exhaustive research, studying every volcano individually.

 

Since they met in a Paris coffee shop, the French couple could not live apart and embarked on a series of overseas expeditions to study each volcano individually. When they were children, their parents took them separately to visit the volcanoes in Italy – they started with the Stromboli.

In 1970, they married. Their honeymoon was in Santorini, the mythical city of Atlantis. They devoted their lives to studying volcanoes and decided not to have children. The newlyweds were the first and probably the only volcanologist couple in the world, and they revolutionized every previous theory about volcanoes and tectonic plates. 

Once they start their journey, the film’s visuals and environmental sounds blend together, complemented by “Je Me Sens Vivre,” a romantic French song by Dalida.

Dalida -- Je Me Sens Vivre

They brought down every theory and myth about volcanoes, even the truths and fragments of history already set in books. As they went deeper, more questions arose. They traveled to different countries, continents, and Islands, starting with Mt. Edna and Stromboli in Italy to begin their investigation. They knew that every mystery had to be solved. They lived every new adventure to the fullest.

TV appearances were recorded during their studies, and it was an excellent opportunity to show the world that studying volcanoes must be done individually, not as a generic classification. Every volcano is a different animal. And they were more excited to show their findings when the TV became color.

They had their strengths—Katia worked on still pictures, printing books, chemistry, soil composition, gases, and physics. Maurice filmed everything on location, including eruptions, and kept the records and archives in order. 

Both complemented each other exceptionally well. The closer they got to the volcanoes, the more they saw, and the more they became volcano runners. Even local people helped them with supplies and guidance to reach the craters.

Contemplating the devastating landscape surrounding a volcano, Maurice and Katia stated, “We are not religious; we are scientists, but we have our short life to return to the ground.” They romanticized their job, driven by their passion for volcanoes and each other. Katia observed 170 volcanoes, Maurice 150, 20 fewer than hers.

Maurice prefers an intense and short life to a monotonous, long one. In his existentialist philosophy, he feels his life is a kamikaze mission in the beauty of volcanic things and the strenuous sounds of volcanic explosions. 

They developed a new classification theory for volcanoes: Red and Grey. They named Red Volcanoes after the red magma moving beneath the plates, and Grey Volcanoes after the grey smoke and ash. Red volcanoes produce the most fertile soil for plant and vegetable growth. But these were the more explosive, the monster volcanoes, the killer volcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens in the US near Vancouver, Canada.

“Volcanology is a science of observation. The closer they get, the more they see.” With the new gear, they could get closer to the edge. In their fascination with danger, the unknown is not to be feared, but something is not torn. When Krakatoa erupted in Indonesia in 1971, scientists studied the chemistry and water composition, including the acidity that killed all organisms surrounding the volcano. In 1973, they visited one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Mt. Nyiragongo in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, will continue the studies of lava and soil composition.

The signs before a blast are the alteration of minerals, gases, soil temperature, and tremors that ignite an eruption, but there is no certainty to know when or at what time. “Going to the site of a volcanic eruption is like playing Russian roulette - you never know when you will be killed,” said Maurice.  

In 1985, the volcano Nevado del Ruíz erupted in Colombia, killing around 25,000 people while they slept. The government ignored evacuation warnings, and Katia arrived to testify about the damage. Since then, the Kraffts’ film has been used as educational material to warn communities near volcanoes to evacuate and save lives because timing is everything.

Independent writer, producer & director Miranda July narrates “Fire of Love.” FestivalinLA ©2011

Independent filmmaker Miranda July’s narration in “Kajillionaire,” “Me You and Everyone We Know,” and “The Future” is vivid and evocative. 

Sara Dosa, director of “Fire of Love.” Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. FestivalinLA ©2023

The documentary, co-written and directed by Sara Dosa (producer of the Academy-nominated “The Edge of Democracy”), powerfully portrays the well-selected material. Dosa did a marvelous job assembling this gigantic puzzle from Krafft’s materials, studies, and discoveries.

 

Legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog worked on a few projects focused on the Kraffts - “The Fire Within” and “Into the Inferno.” Still, nothing compares to the force of “Fire of Love” through its imagery and consistent structure.

The selected material can be compared to the fabric of other Academy Award-winning music documentaries, such as “Summer of Soul” and “Amy,” about the life of Amy Winehouse, where home videos are a key element in helping the world connect with the legendary singer.

 

What keeps us watching the documentary is the fantastic material and the lives of those two passionate French investigators who pursue their dreams and dare, like no one else, to go further. Katia, Maurice, and the Volcanos’ love story. 

Fire of Love Trailer | National Geographic

Sara Dosa, director of “Fire of Love.” Film critic José Alberto Hermosillo. FestivalinLA ©2023

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Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; “Honey I Blew Up the Dino”

By José Alberto Hermosillo

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is a wild theme-park ride that combines sci-fi and conspiracy theory with chunks of melodrama – all blended in by the Spanish director J. A. Bayona (“The Impossible,” “A Monster Calls”).

Twenty-five years have passed since Steven Spielberg amazed the world with the first “Jurassic Park.” Since then, five movies integrated this profitable franchise.

Universal Studios - Copyright © 2018

This new adventure starts when a volcano threatens all sorts of life on the Costa Rican island of Nublar. A group of activists launches a campaign to save the “Dinos.”

Furthermore, media and politicians will decide what’s the right thing to do: to save the dinosaurs or let the volcano destroy the island.

Jeff Goldblum, actor and jazz musician. Photo, Jose Hermosillo
Copyright © 2018, Festival in LA

The always fantastic actor and jazz musician Jeff Goldblum, plays Ian Malcolm, a well-known mathematician who specializes in the 'Chaos Theory.' He testifies in front of global representatives on the importance of preserving the life of dinosaurs. Mr. Goldblum's character is the only one who appears in all five "Jurassic Park" films.

Without any spoilers, the Jurassic sequel has some meeting points with the 1992 Disney's fantasy-comedy “Honey I Blew Up the Kid.”

In the children’s story, a blown out of proportion a “baby” is chased to Las Vegas. In this new transitional “Jurassic World” venture, the plotline leaves the door open to lead the “dinos” to a populated area.

Oops, not that fast. First, we need to see how dinosaurs’ DNA gets altered by greed and a weaponry ambition.

“The Jurassic World” sequel pushes the “diversity” agenda by introducing new characters appealing to the mainstream audiences, mostly to the millenniums.

Justice Smith. Universal Studios - Copyright © 2018

The geek squad is integrated by L.A. born, terrific young actor, Justice Smith ("Paper Towns" and “The Get Down” TV Series), who plays the goofy Franklin Webb: He adds humor and tension in some of the dramatic moments.

Daniela Pineda. Universal Studios - Copyright © 2018

Likewise, the Mexican-American young actress Daniela Pineda (“Vampire Diaries”) is the brave assistant Zia Rodriguez.

Daniela Pineda. Photo AFI Fest. Copyright © 2018

Daniela Pineda continues her ascendant career in Hollywood, steeply. She is terrific in this new "Jurassic World" movie.

On the contrary, Chris Pratt’s performance falls flat with some dormant moments that exasperate the audience due to the uncertainties and his lack of action. The famous superhero of many other franchises needs to reinvent himself for future sequels.   

Geraldine Chaplin - Copyright © 2018

It is gratifying to see a familiar face of the art-house cinema circuit: the legendary actress Geraldine Chaplin (“Cria,” “Talk to Her,” “Sand Dollars”). She plays Iris, the enigmatic custodian of the little heiress Maisie Lockwood, wonderfully acted by the newcomer Isabella Sermon.  

J. A. Bayona, Photo AFI Fest. Copyright © 2018

I had the opportunity to be one of the first journalists to interview the Spanish director upon his arrival in America. At that time, J.A. Bayona was very proud of having Guillermo del Toro as an executive producer working on his first film “The Orphanage.” Ten years later, the Catalan visionary director has made it in Hollywood with this mega-blockbuster project, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.”

Bayona’s longtime collaborator Oscar Faura did the stunning cinematography, hard to appreciate in some parts because it's equally busy.

The music by Michel Giacchino is boundless, but the sound effects are way too noisy. 

The 170 million dollar newest addition to the franchise is more vivid and more dramatic than the preceding parts.

People may leave the theater after watching this Sci-Fi Dino-adventure with the same experience of having gone to a theme park for a fun and wild ride.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom trailer

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Copyright © 2018 Festival in LA

"Messi" the Film Opens Guadalajara in LA Film Festival

By Jose Alberto Hermosillo,

“Messi,” directed by Alex de la Iglesia (“Witching and Bitching,” “La chispa de la vida,” “The Oxford Murders”), is the opening film of FICG in LA (Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles).

“Messi” is part documentary and part a recreation of his childhood performed by actors. Lionel Messi is considered one of the world's greatest soccer players. He left his hometown, Rosario, when he was a child. Since then, he has been one of the most successful soccer players.

“Messi,” the documentary/biography, has impressive footage from his games at his Club, Barcelona, and also when he’s playing for his native country, Argentina. His name and figure are at the level of the most significant soccer players in history: Pelé and Maradona. He has won everything but the World Cup. 

“Messi” has a positive reinforcement of his achievements and his abilities on the soccer field, keeping his private life away from the public, regardless of what his family and people around him can say.

The movie premiered during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Thanks to the Guadalajara Foundation, it will premiere here in Los Angeles at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood on Friday, August 2015.

Messi (The Movie) - Trailer (2015)

 

 FICG in LA

The Guadalajara Film Festival is one of Latin America's most important film festivals. 

Five years ago, Guadalajara established its essential presence in Los Angeles with FICG in LA. 

The festival has grown and contributed to the community, helping filmmakers to finish their films with the doc lab for a documentary and Guadalajara Construye for fiction – “Pocha” won last year and, with the incentives of the festival, is ready to have its Hollywood screening and distribution. 

During the five years of the festival, all the profits have been donated to a non-profit organization in the city. This year, H.O.L.A. (Heart of LA) is the beneficiary.

Tree of Life Award Honorees:

-        The Derbez Dynasty, (Mother - Silvia Derbez± (Actress) Luis Buñuel’s “The “River and the Death” (1954), Eugenio Derbez (Actor/ director); “Instructions Not Included/No se acceptance devoluciones (2014),” Aislinn Derbez (Actress) “A la mala (2015).”

-        Eugenio Caballero, “Pan’s Labyrinth” (Art design), Oscar winner,

-        Ofelia Medina (Mexican actress), “Frida, Naturaleza Viva” (1983), “Innocent Voices” (2004), “La Casa de Bernarda Alba” (1974).

-        Josep Parera (Entertainment Editor - La Opinion),

-        Sandie Viquez Pedlow (Latino Public Broadcasting).

 CLOSING NIGHT – AUGUST 30, 2015

CIUDAD DELIRIO, Dir. Chus Gutiérrez (Colombia, 2014, 100 min.).

PROGRAM AND SPECIAL EVENTS:

 

 

• KIDS GALA:

EL JEREMÍAS (JEREMY), Dir. Anwar Safa (Mexico, 2015, US Premiere).

• MAGUEY (LGBT) GALA:

MADE IN BANGKOK Dir. Flavio Florencio (México - Alemania, 2015).

• ART, HEALTH & HEALING SPECIAL SCREENING:

JUANICAS, Dir. Karina García Casanova (Mexico - Canada, 2015).
LA TETA DE BOTERO, Dir. Humberto Busto, Mexico (short film).

• HUMAN RIGHTS SPECIAL SCREENING:

LA PRENDA (The Pawn), Dir. Jean-Cosme Delaloye (Guatemala - Suiza), 2014.

LA ONCE (Tea Time) –Dir. Maite Alberti (Chile, 2014). Free Screening.

THE OTHER FILMS: 

El PATRÓN,  RADIOGRAFÍA DE UN CRIMEN (THE BOSS, ANATOMY OF A CRIME)

Dir. Sebastián Schindel (Argentina, 2014).
HEROES COTIDIANOS – “El cometa” Dir. Alejandra Sánchez (Mexico, 2014).

IXCANUL/Volcano, Dir. Jayro Bustamante (Guatemala - France, 2015). OSCAR® SUBMISSION.

LOREAK (FLOWERS), Dir. Jon Garaño, José Mari Goenaga (Spain, 2014). 

POCHA/Hostile Border (Manifest Destiny) Dir. Michael Dwyer (USA – Mexico, 2015).

QUE VIVA LA MUSICA (LIVEFOREVER), Dir. Carlos Moreno (Colombia -Mexico, 2015).

Special Thanks to:

The University of Guadalajara and the organizers of FICG in L.A.:

Raúl Padilla (President of the University of Guadalajara Foundation in the USA),  

Iván Trujillo (Festival Director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival),

Hebe Tabachnik (Director/Producer of FICG in LA),

Guillermo Gomez Mata (the Vice President of the University of Guadalajara Foundation in the USA),

Igor Lozada (Cultura UDG).

EGYPTIAN THEATRE

6712 Hollywood Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90028

Guadalajara in LA Trailer:

For more information, call (424) 382-2535 or visit www.ficginla.com

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