Twelve year-old Samuele lives on an island in the middle of the sea. He goes to school, loves shooting his slingshot and going hunting. He likes land games, even though everything around him speaks of the sea and the men, women and children who try to cross it to get to his island. But his is not an island like the others, its name is Lampedusa and it is the most symbolic border of Europe, crossed by thousands of migrants in the last 20 years in search of freedom. The winner of the Berlin Film Festival’s Silver Bear award, Gianfranco Rosi’s powerful documentary deals with the present migrant crisis with a mix of poetry and resignation. Eschewing commentary, the film lets the situation speak eloquently for itself.
Not sure if Fire at Sea is for you? Tune into our June film podcast for our take on the film (starts at 2mins 25secs in)…