At the Venice Film Festival premiere of Below the Clouds, director Gianfranco Rosi stunned audiences with a line that quickly spread through press coverage: “In all of the characters I chose, there is a spirit of civil resistance.” The remark, delivered during an August 2025 Variety interview, frames the film’s social heartbeat and raises stakes beyond cinema: critics say it politicizes Naples’ portrayal, while supporters call it urgent human storytelling. Rosi’s three-year immersion and Venice competition slot mean this quote will shape critics’ reads and awards-season narratives.
What to know about Rosi’s Venice quote and why it matters in 2025
Key facts
- Gianfranco Rosi gave the quote at Venice during press for Below the Clouds (Aug 2025).
- The film was shot over three years, offering deep local access.
- Below the Clouds competes in Venezia 82; runtime 115 minutes.
- Reactions split: critics cite political reading, supporters praise civic portrait.
- Next milestones: Venice run through early Sept 2025; awards season interest follows.
Why Rosi’s exact 2025 quote is reshaping festival coverage today
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Gianfranco Rosi’s line—“In all of the characters I chose, there is a spirit of civil resistance”—functions as both artistic thesis and political signal. Spoken in August 2025 while discussing his black‑and‑white Naples portrait, the sentence reframes routine festival copy into a debate about representation and activism. Reviewers now read scenes—teachers, a prosecutor, firefighters, sailors—through a civic-resistance lens rather than a neutral ethnographic one. Because Rosi spent three years filming in the region, critics argue his claim carries documentary weight; supporters say it surfaces long‑ignored community resilience.
What divides critics and viewers over Rosi’s civil‑resistance claim in 2025
Responses split along two lines. One camp sees Rosi’s quote as an artistically justified framing: the film documents seismic swarms, tomb‑robbery investigations, and port life, all of which imply civic strain. The other camp worries the language elevates political interpretation over nuance, turning local struggles into a festival-ready manifesto. Trade coverage notes Rosi’s established reputation—he won the 2013 Venice Golden Lion for Sacro GRA—so his labeling of subjects as resistance actors amplifies headlines and awards narratives, intensifying polarization during Venice 2025.
4 key numbers that explain why Rosi’s Venice film matters in 2025
Top figures
KPI Value + Unit Scope/Date Change/Impact Runtime 115 minutes Venezia 82 / Aug 2025 Feature-length positions film for awards Filming period 3 years 2022–2025 Long embed enabled deeper local access Director–composer link 14 years As of 2025 Soundscape continuity shaped final scene Festival slot Venezia 82 Competition Venice, Aug 2025 High visibility in critics’ season coverage
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Summary: These numbers explain access, artistic choices, and festival impact.
Who Gianfranco Rosi is — and why his 2025 claim carries real industry weight
Gianfranco Rosi is a Venice‑veteran documentarian, best known for winning the 2013 Golden Lion with Sacro GRA. His reputation for patient, immersive work (here, three years on location) gives the quote institutional credibility: when Rosi frames characters as enacting “civil resistance,” festival critics and awards voters listen. The film’s stylistic choices—black‑and‑white cinematography and a soundscape built with longtime collaborator Daniel Blumberg—reinforce the claim as artistic conclusion, not off‑hand rhetoric. Expect the remark to shape reviews and programmer discourse through awards season.
Rosi’s sentence has already shifted the conversation at Venice: critics will parse Below the Clouds as social claim and cinematic work, while supporters point to the director’s long immersion. Whether the quote helps the film secure critical momentum or invites controversy, it has made Below the Clouds one of Venice 2025’s most talked‑about entries.
Sources
- https://variety.com/2025/film/festivals/gianfranco-rosi-naples-below-the-clouds-1236496967/
- https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2025/venezia-82-competition/sotto-le-nuvole-below-clouds
- https://static.labiennale.org/files/cinema/2025/Documenti/programma-82c.pdf
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Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.