Fire at Sea (Fuocoammare)(2016)
dir. Gianfranco Rosi
A boy plays on an island where migrants wash up.
Where to watch: Free on Kanopy and Hoopla; Kino Film Collection; rent $2.99-3.99 on Amazon, Apple TV and Fandango At Home (JustWatch US, Oct 28 2026)Letterboxd ↗
On the Italian island of Lampedusa, a twelve-year-old boy learns to use a slingshot, a doctor treats seasick islanders, and a radio operator hears distress calls from boats in the Mediterranean. The film cuts between the island's daily life and the coast guard rescuing people from overloaded boats. It won the Golden Bear at Berlin.
Why it’s here
The film holds two worlds side by side and refuses to explain either: the island that goes on with its life, and the people who arrive. What's punk is the refusal of voiceover and the absence of a rescue narrative. What's pedagogical is that students can discuss what the camera chooses to look at. Companion to Exit West and Solito. Note: slow and quiet, with scenes of bodies from a rescue.
Where This Film Lives
Read Alongside
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