On the eve of World War I, a group of artists, aristocrats, and one homesick rhinoceros, board a luxurious ocean liner to scatter the ashes of a beloved opera diva at sea. However, unaware of the imminent conflict, the elusive passengers have many more private intrigues going on behind closed doors.
An ode to his love for the opera, Federico Fellini’s hidden gem is a quest for authenticity and compassion in a politically fractured world. Unfolding on an impossibly lavish set with an ocean made of polyethylene, this tale of refugees’ plight and bourgeoise indifference is markedly relevant today.