When we think of slow cinema, some names that immediately come to mind are Andrei Tarkovsky and Robert Bresson. Along with these names come thoughts of vast quiet landscapes and voiceovers ruminating on some of life’s more profound mysteries. More recently, we associate this filmmaking with Apichatpong Weerasethakul. However, with the release of the trailer for “Il Buco,” it seems like it is due time for Michelangelo Frammartino to take his rightful place amongst cinema’s most pensive directors.
With “Il Buco,” Frammartino, who also directed 2010’s “Le Quattro Volte,” tells the story of how tradition has slowly given way to modernity throughout the world. It is 1961 in Italy and a team of speleologists explore the newly discovered depths of a cave that will eventually be called the Bifurto Abyss. Meanwhile, most of the country is in awe of the Pirelli Tower, Europe’s then-highest building, which signals a triumph over Italy’s Post-War woes. The film’s plot seemingly situates us in between the depths of the Earth and the heights of the heavens.
Described as “mournful yet not quite damping,” the trailer for “Il Buco” immediately mesmerizes with magical shots of Italy’s countryside. Juxtaposed with these shots are the calls of a shepherd, echoing across timeless vistas.
Elsewhere in the trailer, which features no dialogue, we meet the shepherd, whose deep wrinkles and dreamlike gaze contain a multitude of stories. After being awarded a Special Jury Prize at the 78th Venice Film Festival and being a part of the Official Selection at the 2019 New York Film Festival, all great accolades, “Il Buco,” will be released May 13 via Grasshopper Film. Watch the trailer below.
