Tornando a Casa

Photograher Vincenzo Marra's directorial debut is a brooding, naturalistic tale, following a group of fishermen who risk their lives fishing illegally in the strait dividing Sicily from North Africa. Don't expect The Perfect Storm; the crew converse in gruff Neapolitan dialect (necessitating subtitles, apparently, even in Italy). Dialogue is often philosophical - 'This boat is your jail and your home' - yet it's the long, speechless shots which seem most contemplative. The plot's tragic twist jars the pacing, but there's real tension on and off board and a correctively sympathetic perspective on immigration.