Short Synopsis

On January 18, 2017, a massive avalanche struck the Hotel Rigopiano in the Abruzzo region of Italy, killing 29 people and leaving 11 survivors. Officially labeled a natural disaster, the tragedy soon revealed a deeper story — of bureaucratic delays, ignored warnings, and collective silence. And Then, the Silence reconstructs the final hours of the victims and the desperate rescue operations through firsthand testimonies, archive footage, and previously unseen materials.

Recognition & Critical Response

The docuseries combines investigative depth with cinematic form. Through a delicate balance of realism and abstraction, director Paolo Negro transforms the frozen landscape of Rigopiano into a space of memory and reflection.

A key stylistic element lies in the use of AI-generated animations and the projection of the victims’ final videos onto the ruins of the hotel — a haunting and poetic visual gesture that connects image and absence.

The series received strong critical acclaim for its emotional honesty and formal precision.

"The victims’ last videos, projected onto what remains of the hotel’s walls — fragments of life confronting death." — ANSA

"Watching the footage shot by the hotel guests, the director decided it was a necessary act — a cinematic way to give their voices back to light."— Movieplayer

“A reconstruction that restores dignity to the victims and exposes the chain of omissions behind the tragedy.” — ANSA

“A necessary work — one that raises questions and refuses easy answers.” — La Repubblica

“A production that turns grief into active memory.” — Sky TG24
“Visual courage and the ability to make absence visible.” — Movieplayer

Director’s Note – Paolo Negro

“Light and silence became my tools. I wanted to use images not to reconstruct, but to remember — to let the walls of Rigopiano speak again.”