The Art(s) of Slow Cinema

Here is a website (the only one) dedicated to "Slow films":




"(...) Slow Cinema, a limited, and hence debated term, has become the catch word of the last decade. It is often characterised by the use of long-takes, little use of dialogue and/or music, the use of non-professional actors playing empty and/or lonely characters, and – in some cases – by the sheer description of “this is boring”.
To me, Slow Cinema is more an experiential film form. Finding a definition is exceptionally difficult. This is perhaps mostly because “slow” is relative, so Slow Cinema is relative, too. What slow means to one person, may in fact be fast to another. I’m now very used to slow films. It is difficult for me to still see the slowness in there. For me, it has become “normal”.(...)"
Nadin Mai, the author of this great website, did her PhD thesis on "Slow Cinema" in 2015:
 The representation of absence and duration in the post-trauma cinema of Lav Diaz.
and she also translated a Lav Diaz film subtitles for the Berlinale.
The website focuses on "slowness" rather than "contemplative" (we had this debate in 2010) but there is a long list of recommended viewing and an extensive bibliography. Plus it doubles as a distribution platform for "slow films".
Listen to her participation to the podcast FlixWise on Tiexi Qu: West of Tracks (by Wang Bing), contemplative film par excellence, which is 202 on the Sight & Sound poll of Greatest Films of All Time (august 2017)

Comments

Nadin Mai said…
Thank you so much for the support, HarryTuttle! I thoroughly appreciate it.
BenoitRouilly said…
You're welcome. Your website is a labor of love for slow cinema. Great resource.
Mikel said…
Thankyou very much, Benoit.

During years, your blog discovered me great movies, great directors, great articles that I really enjoyed. Actually, I'm a cinema lecturer and I suggest your blog to my students. One of them told that you come back a couple of months ago.

Great news for (slow) cinema lovers