In August 1961, speleologists explored Europe’s deepest cave in the Calabrian hinterland, reaching 700 meters below Earth for the first time. Their venture went unnoticed by the inhabitants of a neighboring village, but not by an old shepherd whose solitary life interweaves with the group’s journey.

Winner of the Special Jury Prize in Venice, this spellbinding docudrama from Michelangelo Frammartino was described by jury president Bong Joon Ho as “a mystical cinematic experience.” A metaphysical exploration of Italy’s deepest cave, Il buco marries ravishing images to profound spiritual inquiry.