“A person who dies without a name is like a story without an ending”

PURE UNKNOWN (SCONOSCIUTI PURI)

creative documentary - 90' / 52’ - 2023

director: Valentina Cicogna and Mattia Colombo
produced by: Jump Cut (IT)
in co-production with: Amka Films Productions (CH), Sysifos Film Production (SE) and RSI (CH)

supported by: Creative Europe MEDIA, MiC, Trentino Film Commission, Piemonte Doc Film Fund, Cultural Center Cantone Ticino, Eurimages

world sales: Deckert Distribution Gmbh


Synopsis

Every night nameless bodies land in Dr. Cristina Cattaneo’s autopsy room. She calls them Pure Unknown. 

The Pure Unknown belong to the fringes of society. They are homeless, prostitutes, runaway teenagers. Lately, they have mostly been migrants, rejected by the Mediterranean Sea onto the shores of Italy. 

If all rights belong to the living, nothing is left to the dead. So what happens when the dead have lost their identity?

In the face of this growing multitude, no one seems concerned about their right to dignity.

No one but Cristina.


Visions du Réel 2023 (Interreligious Award)
Hot Docs 2023
Biografilm 2023 (Audience Award, Celebration of Lives Award for Cristina Cattaneo)
Karlovy Vary IFF 2023
AJB DOCS 2023 (Special Mention in the Main Competition)
DMZ DOCS 2023 (Special Jury Award in the International Competition)
Nuremberg Human Rights FF 2023

Contemporanea FF 2023

One World Slovakia 2023

MedFilm Festival 2023

RIDM 2023
Rome IDF 2023
Cinemamed Brussels 2023

Watch Docs HRFF 2023

Selected at:

IDS 2018 / Dok Leipzig Co-pro Market 2019 / Sunny Side of the Doc 2020 / East Doc Platform 2021 / FIFDH Geneve Imapct Days 2022
EURODOC 2020 / DOK INCUBATOR 2022


Trailer