documentary

No narration, no score to speak of, no panning over the bay of Naples at golden hour. Instead, fixed cameras pointed at archaeologists brushing ash off a shinbone, emergency services staff answering calls from scared residents, a tutor helping children learn a variety of subjects, Syrian workers bringing in thousands of tonnes of Ukrainian grain. Vesuvius looms in almost every frame, usually grey, often half-swallowed by cloud. Everyone on screen is, in one way or another, in its shadow: extracting from it, measuring it, living despite it.

Well made and fun to watch, and I’m glad the wonderful Ram keeps getting its due as a proto-indie blueprint. Ultimately though, it’s a familiar story told capably rather than a new angle on it.

Highly recommended. A Winter Olympics Hoop Dreams, unfolding against a backdrop of national decline and the long shadow of war.

Watched on Tuesday December 9, 2025.