Unspoken Cinema

 Contemporary Contemplative Cinema Frequently Asked Questions #4 : Where does Contemplative Cinema come from? Before cinema even existed, contemplation was at the heart of philosophical discussions in Ancient Greece… Parmenides first with « On Nature », then Aristotle with « Nicomachean Ethics », and Plotinus with the « Enneads » : « All things are striving after Contemplation » Later, in the world of litterature, for instance, Rousseau, Baudelaire or Thoreau brought attention to contemplation as a mean to discover and understand the world, but also as self-introspection to understand one’s self. The idea of « rêverie » by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (« Les rêveries d’un promeneur solitaire ») : "Meditation in retreat, the study of nature, the contemplation of the universe force a solitary to constantly rush towards the Author of things, and to seek with a sweet worry the end of all that he sees and the cause of all that he feels." The term « flâneur » by Charles Baudelaire (« ...

  In Praise of Slow Cinema (YouTube) 9'51" (Sefo's) 24 Oct 2023

Contemporary Contemplative Cinema Frequently Asked Question #3 : CCC FAQ #3 : What makes a film ‘contemplative’? Contemplative films have all a distinctive tone and it’s due presumably to their minimalistic form. We know so many films from so many genres are considered « contemplative », therefore their unique aesthetic spans across various narrative conventions and stylistic devices, always taking the longest journey to get there (if ever) and wearing the most minimum attire. They give a name to the naked truth. Not only slow by nature (with long takes and unhurried actions), but also inclined to driving the lows (dead times) to their extremities, Contemplative Cinema shines through its absence of histrionics and tension. It gives space to wanderings and time to self-reflection. A contemplative film is the vehicule of your own introspective ascent, pensive somnolence, insightful contemplation. Although meditation has eyes wide shut, inward and solipstic, to the tune of melodic sounds,...

  TiDF25 | Masterclass by Nikolaus Geyrhalter: Reality as a work of art (YouTube) 53' Thessaloniki International Film Festival - 10 mai 2023

  Contemporary Contemplative Cinema Frequently Asked Questions #2 : What is Contemplative Cinema? Contemplative Cinema is a relatively recent aesthetic movement in cinema history that has taken off at the very end of the last century. It assembles many filmmakers from around the world who believe the cinema screen must be contemplated, not devoured. This cinema is dedicated to the depiction of the everyday life, the mundanity of the workplace or even the ennui of existence. Thus the impression of a landscape, be it urban, rural or wild, is paramount to installing the universe of the film. The characters are loners or outliers, mute or laconical (played by non-actors most of the time) and the few conversations seem trivial, meaningless. Precisely, these films emulate real life, with close-to-real-time pace, often natural lighting, and direct sound when possible. The camera is discreet, patient and non-intrusive. The film unfolds without a story, landing suddenly sans anticipation, a...

Apichatpong Weerasethakul - IFFR Big Talk #3 (YouTube) 1h32'  International Film Festival Rotterdam - 12 Feb 2018

 Contemporary Contemplative Cinema Frequently Asked Questions #1 : "What does CCC mean ?"      "CCC" means "Contemporary Contemplative Cinema", a term coined on this blog in 2007. (See a Disclaimer  on January 21st of 2007). "CCC" is merely an affective monicker, a lazy shortcut, a palindromic acronym reserved for aficionados who discuss and study it. It's a lasting work-in-progress, that stayed with us all these years, even though the full name established itself for a while now. It shouldn't be used to publicize this cinema on the public stage, especially due to its obscur origin. Too often we read in the press this technical acronym used and abused in order to confuse and lose the neophyte readers. The full term "Contemporary Contemplative Cinema" would be a preferrable notoriety, as it is more accurate and self-explanatory, or else, simply "Contemplative Cinema" for short is perfectly fine.      Why "contempla...

  Memoria (Apitchapong Weerasethakul) feat. Corentin Lê (YouTube) 49'39" MicroCine - 16 dec 2021 L'article de Corentin Lê sur "Memoria" Emission de Critikat : Hatari, sur Memoria

  (Image generated by Adobe Firefly) Major CCC films ranked from slowest to slower            A. Still frame, motionless, zero cut, silent Empire (WARHOL) Sleep (WARHOL) B. Still frame, motionless, sparse cuts, silent 13 Lakes (BENNING) Ten Skies (BENNING) Homo Sapiens (GEYRHALTER) C. Still frame, natural activity, zero cut, silent L’arrivée d’un train en gare de La Ciotat (LUMIERE) D. Still frame, natural activity, few cuts, mute At Sea (HUTTON) Bestiaire (CÔTÉ) Walker series (TSAI) Five Dedicated to Ozu (KIAROSTAMI) Milky Way (FLIEGAUF) Father & Son (WANG Bing) Days (TSAI) Our Daily Bread (GEYRHALTER) Goodbye, Dragon Inn (TSAI) Fantasma (ALONSO) Into Great Silence (GRONING) E. Mobile frame, natural activity, long takes Les Hommes (MICHEL) De Humani Corporis Fabrica (PARAVEL/CASTAING-TAYLOR) World Cruise 2010 (EIKAWA) Hurtigruten Minutt for Minutt (NRK) Al Primo Soffio di Vento (PIAVOLI) Nana (MASSADIAN) Le Moindre Geste...

  MEMORIA | Film Analysis (YouTube) 5'55" (CineMollusk) 8 july 2023 Not so much a review, but a collection of observations regarding Apichatpong Weerasethakul's 2021 film "Memoria" starring Tilda Swinton.  References the following films:  Under the Skin (2013)  I Walked with a Zombie (1943)  2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)  Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)  Carnival of Souls (1963)  Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)  The Long Search (1977)

(SFF2023 as seen by AI) SFF (Slow Film Festival) runs from saturday 21st till sunday 22nd of October 2023 ! The Slow Film Festival is moving from Mayfield to East London! We hope that this move will make the festival more accessible without losing the elements that made it special and so, whilst we are moving to London, we have selected a venue that is right next to Wanstead Flats, on the tail end of Epping Forest, so that you can get your nature fix in between screenings. The Slow Film Festival aims to create a space where makers, curators, writers and avid viewers are able to connect in person and so we have continued with the tradition of holding the festival across a single weekend with all screenings taking place in a single location. It’s an intense blast of slowness but allows people the opportunity to get to know each other and chat about film (if you want to, mingling is totally optional).

  An Elephant Sitting Still: Difficult (But Necessary) Cinema. (YouTube) 8'12" The Film Seeker - 22 sept 2022 Also read at Unspoken Cinema : An Elephant Sitting Still (2018/HU Bo/China) Spoiler Territory (An Elephant Sitting Still) Contrechamp interdit (An Elephant Sitting Still)

  SLOW CINEMA | ¿Cuál es la Película MÁS LARGA?   (YouTube) 4'46" (Sebastián González - Arte y Cultura) 14 sept 2023 Tambien leer en Unspoken Cinema : Longest Slices of Life  

  Aula - Introdução ao Slow Cinema (YouTube) 2h09' + Análise do filme "Era uma vez em Tóquio" (Filmes Cuti) 13 sept 2023 Essa foi a 1ª aula do cineclube edição Slow Cinema na Ásia. Nesta aula foram abordados os seguintes pontos: - O que é o Slow Cinema; - Quais suas principais características formais e narrativas; - Genealogia do Slow Cinema; - O conceito de Cinema Moderno e sua relação com o Slow Cinema; - A imagem-tempo de Gilles Deleuze; - Por que Yasujiro Ozu é considerado um dos precursores do Slow Cinema; - Análise do filme Era uma vez em Tóquio, de Yasujiro Ozu. Read also on Unspoken Cinema : Iniciação ao Cinema Contemplativo (Portugues)  

  A Conversation with Bela Tarr  (YouTube) 1h15' Kerala 18 dec 2022 - Aravindan Memorial Lecture - IFFK 2022 

  el ritmo y el Slow Cinema (YouTube) 52' Viaje a la Luna #08 (Viaje a la Luna Podcast) 14 octobre 2023 

  In January, I asked GPT 3.5 about Contemplative Cinema . Now GPT 4, who is smarter than GPT 3.5 (and not as smart as GPT5, rumored to be released on december 2023), is embedded with Bing (in the web browser Edge), and answers any prompts after consulting a Bing web search. Today, I'll ask GPT 4 the same questions and compare the answers... Illustration generated by an AI (Adobe Express), prompt: "image of Contemplative Cinema" Prompt: What is the definition of Contemplative Cinema? GPT4 : "Contemplative Cinema, also known as Slow Cinema, is a genre of art cinema film-making that emphasizes long takes and is typically characterized by a style that is minimalist, observational, and with little or no narrative. In these films, there may be very little action or events. Car chases, combat scenes, violence, gunshots are either anecdotal or non-existent. Yet, it’s impossible to look away. These films take their time to establish the plot. Some have very few dialogues, ot...

  Two Films by James Benning (YouTube) 6'32" 14 Oct 2023 (Alexander Sternberg) Video Essay

  Goodbye Dragon Inn (2003) Explained (YouTube) 9'23" Mint Volcano (22 dec 2022) Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) directed by the Malaysian born Taiwanese art film director Tsai Ming Liang is a slow contemplative love letter to cinema. On it's face this message is easy to pick up on. It's clear that Tsai Ming Liang is showing his love for cinema in this film. But the exact plot and what happens in "Goodbye, Dragon Inn", as with all Tsai Ming Liang films is harder to understand. This video interprets the meaning of the actions and characters to be a representation of the challenges that artist and filmmakers in particular face in the modern age when we work in a medium that we love but is underappreciated or forgotten by the general public. This is one of the greatest art films ever made in Taiwan and has topped many lists of "greatest films of all time" so definitely check this one out! 

  Slow Cinema (YouTube) 5'22" GlasgowFilmTheatre (18 jan 2022) In this video essay, made by GFT Youth Board member Simona, she takes us through the world of slow cinema. This is where filmmakers encourage audiences to take their time and absorb the scene, rather than bombard them with images, special effects and visual distractions.

  BÉLA TARR - ARTE E FILOSOFIA (YouTube) 17'38" (Moça, você é cinéfila?) 21 Nov 2019 PORTUGUES

  Being Like Water: Tilda Swinton & Apichatpong Weerasethakul on MEMORIA (YouTube) 1h12' (MUBI) 13 April 2023 This special bonus episode courtesy of our Latin American show MUBI Podcast: Encuentros features a conversation between Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Tilda Swinton.  More details here: https://mubi.io/3mjkGXA   Produced in partnership with La Corriente del Golfo.  The discussion touches on the creative process of two of film’s greatest names – Tilda Swinton and Apichatpong Weerasethakul – while working together on the film MEMORIA together, which was an intimate collaboration founded on their long friendship.

Wong Kar-wai's Sleepers from Ken Provencher  23 nov 2019 (on Vimeo ) 6'28" Review By Catherine Grant (Aarhus Universitet) [in] Transition. Journal of Videographic Film & Moving Image Studies, 8.1, 2021 

  Ambient Antarctica 4K | 2-hour relaxing slow nature film (YouTube) 2h01' 11 march 2021

  Slow Cinema (YouTube) 5'16" Video Essay (Annabel Greig) 25 may 2018

  Slow Cinema (YouTube) 5'24" Hugo Arts - 19 may 2021

  Memoria - How Sound Makes A Story - Connecting Ourselves To The Unexpected - The Perception Of Time (YouTube) 14'49" (Cinema To The Max) 9 July 2022 Memoria by Apichatpong Weerasethakul is one of the most interesting cinematic works in recent history. The complex themes it presents coupled with the mesmerizing sound design allow the experience to be incredibly moving and meditative. Most notably, its perception of time and how unexpected events play into the character's life make it an enthralling watch. There haven't been many trips to the theater as powerful as this one. This video connects it to the themes mentioned above.

  Tsai Ming-liang on the Evolution and Future of Cinema (YouTube) 2'47" (Locarno 2023) 6 Aug 2023

  Tsai Ming-Liang Reveals The Origins of His Cinematic Dream (YouTube) 14'35" (TaiwanPlus Docs) 18 April 2023 A leading figure of the "Second New Wave" of Taiwanese cinema, award-winning Director Tsai Ming-Liang has left his mark on the art world with his minimalist dialogues, contemplative fixed shots, and unmistakable depictions of urban settings. But what's left to achieve when most of your dreams have come true? Exclusively for TaiwanPlus, Tsai, who promised himself not to make more than ten feature films - but already has eleven to his credit - discusses the origins of his art and the future of his cinematographic commitment.

  Filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang on Loneliness, Alienation, and Absurdity of Life (YouTube) 3'44" (Asia Society NY) 5 April 2010

  Nick Pinkerton on Goodbye, Dragon Inn (YouTube) 6'48" (Metrograph) 5 January 2022

  Last Days - El slow cinema de los últimos días de Kurt Cobain (YouTube) 1'12" Alina Morales (ESPAÑOL) 29 sept 2023

CONTEMPLATIVE CINEMA ARTICLE SLOW AWARDS (James' fault line) ENGLISH Préambule (Mon cinéma contemplatif) Benoit Rouilly FRANCAIS FILM REVIEWS Menus-Plaisirs (WISEMAN) review   ENGLISH Los Bastardos (HarryTuttle)  FRANCAIS CITATIONS Naked Island (Kitsnik) Attention & Contemplative Cinema (Elsaesser) Plotinus & the Moving Image (Botz-Bornstein) L'espace-temps du plan long (Gaudin) L'art du sensible (Rancière) 2023 CONTEMPLATIVE CINEMA CANON 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Greatest CCC films Top10 election) 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Marc Raymond) Top10 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Arthur Caria) Top10 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Srikanth Srinivasan) Top10 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Peter Labuza) Top10 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Sean Gilman) Top10 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Janos Kis) Top10 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Justin Remes) Top10 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Giacomo) Top10 2023 Contemplative Cinema Canon (Thorsten Bot...