Unspoken Cinema

Latest addition to the Library page at Unspoken Cinema: Abstract: "Minimalism has been seen as a movement in cinema based on simplification in terms of aesthetics and narrative. Minimalism in cinema is generally defined by diluted narrative elements, limited dialogues, long-shot sequences, and natural setting elements. Indeed, Yasujiro Ozu's minimalist approach in Japanese cinema has developed an aesthetic based on Zen philosophy, unlike Western art. Robert Bresson, on the other hand, has deepened the narrative by using non-visual elements and off-screen areas with metonymic minimalism. This study analyzes the use of Kovács's “analytical minimalism” theory adapted to the relevant film level, based on Michelangelo Frammartino's film Il Buco (2021) as the research object. Il Buco is constructed with long shots, slow camera movements, and natural sound design, while addressing the existential images of an old peasant in Calabria who continues his life with the cycle of...

 1000 posts (articles, citations, comments, illustrations, theory, reviews, video essays, webcasts, interviews...) about Contemplative Cinema since 2006, in 20 years, on Unspoken Cinema ! As well as 1327 comments. 1000

“Valley Time” is a peculiar pace of life. Such life is nonchalant, carefree, and at times delightfully indifferent. Adopted by the residents of the village of Kangaroo Valley (shy of 900 souls) strung along the meandering Kangaroo river, nestled amongst rocky sandstone cliffs. This secluded settlement sits a mere two-hour drive south of Sydney, in Australia. Throughout this silent landscape, distances stretch vast until the next neighbour. Community is bound not by proximity, but by a shared introspective state of mind. Such space is unique to the mountainous and isolated terrains. Such pace is unique to the insulated people living far apart yearning for each other.  The documentary The Valley (2026) crafts a multifaceted, deeply evocative portrait of this remote enclave over the course of 3 hours. It shifts from one dairy farmer/painter to a gardener cultivating vegetables to a baker kneading dough to lonesome locals running errands… and so on, and so forth. A seamless human tape...

Joshua Polanski's Guided Film Club - Discursions in Time: Slow and Poetic Cinema(s) ( announced here  on Unspoken Cinema) ended with a bang(er) = Lav DIAZ's record breaking durational drama behemoth, Evolution of a Filipino Family (2004) and an insightful online discussion. You can do it too. What you ought to know before getting into Lav DIAZ's 10h24' long epic saga (spoiler free): 1) - The events depicted in the film, around the Gallardo clan, take place in The Philippines, between 1971 and 1987. 2) - The Philippines have a history of conversions, conquests, occupations, and colonisations: Islamisation (XIVth century) Spanish colonisation and evangelisation (1521-1898) since Magellan American rule (1898-1946+) USA economic influence Japanese occupation (1942-45) during WWII Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship (1972-1986) martial law (1972-1981)  Assassination of father Tullio Favali (1985) Roman catholic priest Democracy (1987-) 3) - Lav DIAZ was born on December 30, 1958...

"New Turkish Cinema embraces minimalist audio-visual elements, with long takes, contemplative narratives, and a mediated film experience that invites slow engagement and introspection. Through a focused comparison of Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Zeki Demirkubuz, two of the most influential and internationally recognized figures in this movement, this article examines how their distinct directorial styles articulate the aesthetics of slowness. Both emerged in the 1990s as central figures in the post-Yeşilçam cinematic landscape, yet their approaches differ markedly. Ceylan’s films employ rural landscapes, subdued rhythms, and interior stillness, while Demirkubuz crafts existential narratives in confined urban settings through stark realism and elliptical storytelling. Despite their stylistic differences, both directors adopt techniques associated with global slow cinema. This article argues that slowness in New Turkish Cinema functions not merely as a matter of pacing, but as a cinematic ...