Unspoken Cinema

  Ce documentaire a été interdit pendant 24 ans | Titicut Follies (1967) | ARTE (YouTube) 1h20' (ARTE) 19 Sept 2026 *Un documentaire disponible jusqu'au 31/07/2027 (use France VPN if Geolocked) "Titicut Follies, de Frederick Wiseman, révèle sans filtre les conditions de vie violentes des détenus d'une prison-hôpital. Certaines scènes peuvent ne pas convenir à tous les publics.  Bienvenue dans la prison-hôpital de Bridgewater, ville du Massachusetts située à une heure de Boston. Construit au milieu du XIXe siècle, l’établissement, qui enferme des criminels atteints de troubles psychiatriques, accuse de sérieux signes de vétusté. Assommés par les calmants, les malades y vivent dans des conditions d'hygiène déplorables et sont régulièrement moqués, voire humiliés par le personnel soignant. Tous les ans, s’inspirant du nom que donnaient autrefois les tribus autochtones à la région de Bridgewater, les gardiens organisent une revue de variétés avec le concours des patie...

  A Visual Poem about Loneliness (YouTube) 4'16" (He Zhiwu) 16 Dec 2022 "film: Vive L'Amour directed by Tsai Ming-liang"

Latest addition to the Library page on Unspoken Cinema: "Slowness as an alternative cinematic style Slowness in cinema is linked to a certain aesthetic current characterised by stillness, slowness, and silence. What is often seen as a dwelling on the visual and aural qualities of the landscape in a film may, in fact, reflect the cinematic vision, the technical or aesthetic preferences of a given director (deLuca and Barradas Jorge 2016). As Clara orban suggests, 'Like its culinary counterpart, Slow Food, slow cinema has become a way of watching the world go by more slowly, a mindful approach to moving images' (2021, 1). This 'mindful approach' reflects the stylistic and aesthetic preferences of individual directors. How is then the aesthetics of slowness materrialised? Are there any common features that appear in most slow films? In what follows, I will try to examine these features by highlighting how slow cinema is seen as an alternative cinematic practice that ...

  How Perfect Days Made Loneliness Important Again (YouTube) 5'16" (Prime Cinephile) 25 Nov 2025 "Perfect Days is a film that feels simple on the surface, but emotionally deep once you sit with it.  In this video, we take a closer look at how Wim Wenders uses slow cinema to tell a quiet and meaningful story about routine, purpose and being present in life. We’ll explore Hirayama’s character, his daily rituals and how the film reveals who he is without heavy dialogue or dramatic events. We’ll also look at the cinematography, pacing, sound design and the emotional meaning behind the ending. "

"Faire un film, c'est un véritable tourment", entretien avec Wang Bing par Anne Cheng (YouTube) 1h38'23" (Fondation Hugot du Collège de France) 27 avril 2023 "Dans cet entretien filmé le 5 mai 2022 à la Fondation Hugot du Collège de France à l’initiative de sa directrice, Florence Terrasse Riou, Wang Bing parle librement et intensément de sa conception de l’art, de son rapport au cinéma et à la littérature chinoise, ainsi que de son enfance, notamment à propos de son film « L’homme sans nom ». Il est entouré de sa productrice et proche collaboratrice Kong Lihong, de sa traductrice et interprète Pascale Wei-Guinot, d'Anne Kerlan, directrice de recherche au CNRS et historienne du cinéma chinois, et d’Anne Cheng, titulaire de la Chaire d’histoire intellectuelle de la Chine au Collège de France."

"Chantal Akerman: The Private and The Public" | FILMADRID & MUBI: The Video Essay (YouTube) 9'17" (MUBI) 28 June 2024 "Chantal Akerman: The Private and The Public. “News From Home'' and “No Home Movie” by Chiara Cuccinielllo, Tiziana Rovere, Stella Capolicchio & Elena Lacunza Exploring Chantal Akerman's visionary films, from the busy streets of News from Home (1977) to the intimate spaces of No Home Movie (2015), we discover the synergy between the public and the private spheres. Akerman emphasizes a dual reality, between home and city, the truth and the image, mother and daughter."

"Le grand cinéaste hongrois est mort au début de cette année. Hommage un artiste à un autre, par l'intermédiaire d'un troisième. Peinture, cinéma, écriture. Et toujours le temps." Christophe Bisson ; Béla Tarr : Le retrait du monde filmique (sur Burdstack ; article pour abonnés payants) 2 août 2026

SPÉCULATIONS : DRY LEAF (Alexandre Koberidze) (YouTube) 53'12" (SPÉCULATIONS) 23 juillet 2026 "A l'occasion de la sortie en salles le 8 juillet de Dry Leaf, dernière réalisation du géorgien Alexandre Koberidze (que l'on avait pu découvrir avec Sous le ciel de Koutaïssi en 2021), Matthias, Théodora, Charles et Aubry reviennent sur cette sortie pas comme les autres. Filmé à l'aide d'un Sony Ericsson W595, le film impose l'étrangeté de son image pixelisée basse-définition autant que sa ritournelle contemplative sur plus de trois heures durant, suivant la recherche décousue d'un père. Intriguant, déroutant, ce dispositif singulier aux antipodes des courses à la technologie menées par Hollywood ne serait-il pas pour nous un moyen de déconstruire notre regard, de réinterroger et peut-être de retrouver, qui sait, un autre rapport au monde. Intervenant.es : Matthias Chouquer Théodora Olivi Charles Mérienne Aubry Piffault" * * * Et aussi un article ch...

"What I’m striving toward, though, is to present a vision of human connection despite that. In The Hole, you can see that final image of the hands reaching out, of one person lifting another up. I will include that visual image in a film, such as in No No Sleep, with two people on the mattress, almost as if that type of human connection can only happen in a dream, in a fantasy—in a film. I want to present those kinds of human connections against the backdrop of urbanization in all its loneliness, alienation and solitude." Isaac Feldberg; Vanishing Points: Tsai Ming-liang on movie theaters, loneliness and the disappearing world; interview for Letterboxd ; 16 July 2026

Latest addition to the Library page at Unspoken Cinema: "Society typically dictates the duration and manner in which we attend to objects, people, or events. In other words, the length and type of our attention are regulated by unwritten rules of behavior, forming a part of the social order. When someone focuses on something longer than usual, particularly something socially or aesthetically marginalized, it can challenge established social orders. When attention is prolonged beyond customary social norms, the usual controls over how we observe and perceive can be temporarily suspended, disrupting habitual modes of perception. Slow cinema filmmakers slow down the rhythm of the film and extend shots to encourage this sustained attention. Through slowness, they not only slow the narrative but also challenge social norms and how we typically engage with what we see." Amiri, Sepideh;  Marvā Nabīlī’s The Sealed Soil as Slow Cinema . In Cinema Iranica . Encyclopaedia Iranica Foun...

  The Role of Water in Tsai Ming-liang's "The Hole" (1998) (YouTube) 5' (CinemaBlog) 30 Jan 2021  "Here, I take a deep dive into the role played by the motif of water in Tsai-Ming-liang's "The Hole" (1998)."

  139. HKIFF50: Interview with Tsai Ming-liang (Deep Cut) 27'38" ENGLISH 5 july 2026 "The seventh and final director interview Wilson conducted at this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the legendary Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang. Wilson asks one of his cinematic heroes about the state of filmmaking today, his methods for working with actors, and his decades-long collaboration with Lee Kang-sheng."

  Les hautes solitudes (Philippe Garrel) | Film complet | ARTE Cinema (YouTube) 1h19'37" (ARTE Cinema) 1st July 2026 "Un film disponible jusqu'au 30/09/2026 "L'idée, c'était de faire des chutes d'un film qui n'existerait pas avec une star, Jean Seberg. Alors, j'ai conçu Les Hautes Solitudes comme quelque chose de très brut sur son visage" (Phillipe Garrel) Un visage hébété de femme, entre veille et sommeil (celui de la chanteuse Nico, alors compagne de Philippe Garrel) se laisse contempler quelques minutes, puis disparaît. Dans la pénombre d'un appartement, Laurent Terzieff, cheveux en bataille, accueille et étreint une jeune femme (Tina Aumont), comme lui d'une beauté et d'une jeunesse saisissantes. Dans une chambre (du même appartement, d'un autre ?), en plein jour, Jean Seberg, vêtue d'une sage chemise de nuit, semble lutter contre les vestiges d'un rêve angoissant. En contraste étrange avec l'intimité très ...

In a region where cinema is measured in song sequences, choreographed fight scenes, and the explosive first-weekend box office of a Rajinikanth release, Abdul Rahman makes films in which very little happens, and that very little is everything. A filmmaker, writer, and cultural organiser based in Tamil Nadu, Rahman occupies a position that is as rare as it is precarious: that of a contemplative filmmaker working entirely outside the logic — commercial, narrative, sensory (also known as “masala cinema”)  — of Kollywood, the Chennai industry that dominates not only Tamil cinema but the cultural imagination of over 80 million people. Where Kollywood offers spectacle, Rahman offers stillness. Where it provides resolution, he leaves space. Where it speaks loudly and continuously, he chooses, with conviction, to fall silent. A decade ago he founded Missed Movies, a project of what Tamil audiences have been systematically denied, or have systematically looked away from. More recently, alo...

The old man (Venkatesan) 8th Street (2026/Abdul RAHMAN/India) 1h Film review by Benoit Rouilly for Unspoken Cinema (containing spoilers voluntarily). A clean, well directed piece by Abdul Rahman, who in just one contemplative hour and three cryptic chapters, evokes the devious outlines of five mysterious stories within four opaque characters… Some stories will remain unresolved as others stand open-ended. Everything takes place, practically in real time around 2am, in a single night-bar, named “8th Street”. A lovely place, with marble pedestal tables, wooden chairs and comfy booths. There are rounded corners to the door-frames like on a boat. Coffee bean wooden patterns form a see through ceiling. And a neo-classical sepia painting on the back wall, representing customers at coffee tables, completes the atmosphere. The protagonist enters the bar last, a clean, well lighted place, and penetrates by the front door this “huis-clos” (=a single action takes place in a single space behind c...

From the director’s statement on his website : “This project challenges traditional documentary storytelling. I aimed to create an immersive, meditative experience that invites patience and openness from viewers. With its mostly silent narrative, the film emphasises the unspoken — highlighting the power of stillness and the sounds of silence. It invites viewers to interpret and create their own stories for each character, filling in the quiet moments, and embracing the ambiguity. Its length and rhythm requires a conscious commitment, but I believe this approach offers a meaningful journey — one that suspends the noise of modern life and offers a space for empathy and reflection. Ultimately, THE VALLEY is a contemplative journey — a chance for viewers to slow down, breathe, listen and observe. It celebrates the power of solitude and the importance of community. In these challenging times, it offers a quiet affirmation of inner peace, resilience, and the profound beauty of stillness.” ...

  I Reject The Invitation From God | Missed Movies (YouTube) 45'35" (Missed Movies) 12 March 2020 Written - Directed - Edited by Abdul Rahman Tamil (subtitled in English) My review: I Reject The Invitation From God (2019/Abdul Rahman/India) 45’ One widower patiently awakes from a comatose sleep on the unmade bed, at the insistent sound of an old fashioned ringtone. His body lies face up and stretched out like a corpse. Slowly, very slowly, he sits up and rubs his bearded face, like the weight of the years bearing on his shoulders, numbing his whole body, his every joint. He speaks no words, since he lives on his own and sees no one all day. The film title reveals everything from the start. But when will it happen? What are we looking at? A dream? A miracle? Or just another day?  Abdul Rahman’s fourth short film opens slowly and without speech (the first word uttered comes out right before 7’ 30”). The shots are long and almost always static, but we enjoy partaking in the pro...

  GRIS Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 FULL GAME [1080p HD PC] - No Commentary (YouTube) 2h14'50" (MKIceAndFire) 15 Dec 2018 * * * The Beauty Of Gris (YouTube) 2'35" (TheBeautyOf) 26 Sept 2021 Voir aussi sur Wikipedia : Gris (jeu vidéo) See also at Unspoken Cinema :  A Slow Year (conceptual videogame)

“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...