Below the Clouds: Gianfranco Rosi’s poetic documentary about Mount Vesuvius and the city of Napoli is a quietly contemplative experience. It spreads its attention around many characters, and they are all part of an engaging mosaic. As he is wont to do, Rosi shoots the film himself, and the images are startling, both for their beauty (the shots are exquisitely framed, and this time around, in lustrous black and white) and the degree of access he has to his subjects. The subjects are very diverse, encompassing those focused on preserving or learning about the past, those dedicated to protecting that past from looters, those living in the present, and those building towards the future. The editing, by Fabrizio Federico, navigates through all those threads beautifully and patiently; this is not a film that is in a hurry to reach its end. Composer Daniel Blumberg’s musical score is subdued, which fits the material rather nicely.