Michelangelo Frammartino

In 1961, a group of young speleologists mapped one of the world’s deepest caves in the Calabrian mountains. In this fictional story about them, Frammartino constructs a slow but entirely gripping rhythm; we see the cave explorers in extreme long-shot as they prepare tools and each day embark on a perilous journey, venturing further into uncharted crevices. Much of this action is viewed from the perspective of an old, grizzled shepherd moving his herd across the mountains. Almost entirely without discernible dialogue, but featuring arguably the year’s richest sound design, Il Buco unfolds at a spellcasting pace – shifting back and forth between the shepherd and adventurers, and punctuated by glimpses of life in a remote mountain village where the two briefly intersect. This is unique, singular filmmaking from Frammartino. And a film made for the big screen.Read More »

Synopsis
The languid account of a disaster happening in slow motion. The film charts the bleak daily life of a village in Calabria, which once had a population of some fifteen thousand but is now down to a mere handful. An impassive old man and a retarded girl seem to be simply waiting for time to eat away their lives. They are only occasionally and fleetingly roused from their deep apathy by strange objects and sordid encounters. Read More »

Quote:
An old shepherd lives his last days in a quiet medieval village perched high on the hills of Calabria, at the southernmost tip of Italy. He herds goats under skies that most villagers have deserted long ago. He is sick, and believes to find his medicine in the dust he collects on the church floor, which he drinks in his water every day.Read More »