Pure Unknown asks urgent questions about the marginalized but more specifically about migrants who perish on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Co-directors Valentina Cicogna and Mattia Colombo follow the tireless and devoted work of the brilliant Italian forensic scientist Dr. Cristina Cattaneo with steady and patient observance, showing that the dead have rights and deserve dignity. The camera is cautious and respectful while capturing the unidentified bodies in the autopsy rooms. This cinematic oeuvre, shot in masterful vérité style, is sometimes so startling that reality could sadly pass for fiction. In time, the film peels back the layers of a complex situation to reveal a dysfunctional, apathetic system with one empathetic doctor fighting for those forever silent. (ME)

With the support of the Italian Institute of Culture in Montreal and in collaboration with Tënk

Pure Unknown