Unspoken Cinema

Gaston Bachelard, L'intuition de l'instant. (YouTube) 14'41" (Jtgrandtour) 19 mai 2018

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...

Latest addition to the Library page at Unspoken Cinema: "If we need to ascribe it a meaning, it might just be the following. It’s a story I heard Tarr tell in 2011, in Wrocław. I’ve quoted it before, but if you can’t repeat yourself when talking about Tarr, the great master of essence through attrition, then maybe we didn’t absorb anything from him: “A man wakes up at 4:00 AM, dresses, goes out into the darkness to the location of shooting at 6:00 AM. It’s dark, fucking cold, the wind is blowing. It’s raining, and an actor appears, with a hangover too, and with one thousand problems. An actress comes. Her baby was crying all night. A production manager appears. And says what was said at the meteorological institute, the weather forecast. And a man is standing there waiting for the light to go slightly up so one button can be pressed so the scene can be recorded. And if I did not believe you were all going to see it then for what fucking reason would I be doing all this? I am not ...

"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...

  Tsai Ming-liang: El cine y la conciencia del tiempo (YouTube) 6'42" (Cátedra Ingmar Bergman UNAM) 9 Abril 2021 "Las películas de Tsai Ming-liang son fragmentos de un diario donde se registran las anotaciones de un observador, invitaciones a la contemplación de la vida como una expresión del tiempo. Esta conversación en la Cátedra Extraordinaria Ingmar Bergman en cine y teatro, en el marco de FICUNAM, es una oportunidad de acercarnos a esa mirada poética que danza entre la soledad, el deseo, los cuerpos, la intimidad y el silencio."

"[..] Bi Gan ne sédimente rien. Sa mémoire est topologique, non géologique. Pas de couches qui s’empilent, mais une surface unique qui se retourne sur elle-même, comme un ruban de Möbius : on croit avancer sur l’envers du temps et l’on se retrouve, sans avoir traversé de bord, sur son endroit. C’est pour cela qu’il n’y a jamais de changement de grain chez Bi Gan, jamais de texture qui daterait une strate plutôt qu’une autre. L’Histoire ne se dépose pas au fond de l’image, elle hante l’espace tout entier. Dangmai est une zone de contamination temporelle, où passé, présent et futur circulent sur la même bande, sans jamais se croiser en un point qu’on pourrait localiser. [..]" Christophe Bisson; « Kaili Blues » : Les plis du temps ; 7 juillet 2026 ; chez Burdstack

  When a Director Lets Time Tell the Story (YouTube) 10'17" (Rognosc) 16 Juin 2026

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.” ...

"Vivez les grandes marées du Mont Saint-Michel en Slow TV. Immersion totale et continue 24/7 sur france.tv : 10 caméras dont un drone et une caméra immergée. Spectacle naturel unique." "Un dispositif technique inédit à suivre en direct et en continu sur france.tv Du lundi 3 novembre à 7h30 au lever du soleil jusqu'au dimanche 9 novembre à 18h00 au coucher du soleil, pendant 155 heures au total, 9 caméras, 1 caméra immergée et 1 drone seront déployés autour du site majestueux du Mont-Saint-Michel, qui deviendra sous nos yeux, une île, à la faveur des plus hauts coefficients de marée de l'année. Ce dispositif permettra une immersion totale, 24 heures sur 24, sans artifice, autour du spectacle des grandes marées, capturant en temps réel les mouvements de la mer et l’incroyable beauté du site. Ces caméras saisiront la montée et le retrait de la mer, à la lumière du jour comme dans l’obscurité de la nuit, révélant alors une facette méconnue de ce spectacle naturel. El...

"Le Sacre du Printemps vous invite à une expérience sensorielle inédite. Une immersion Slow TV : 7 jour/7, 24h/24 pour vivre au rythme de la nature qui s'éveille au cœur de la Normandie. Pendant trois semaines, en direct et en continu, laissez-vous transporter par ce spectacle. Des prairies verdoyantes aux rivages sauvages, observez la flore et la faune. Chaque instant est une invitation à la contemplation : le chant des oiseaux, le bourgeonnement des arbres, les premiers pas des jeunes animaux. Notre streaming live est une fenêtre ouverte sur le renouveau printanier, offrant une évasion paisible et une connexion profonde avec la beauté sauvage de la Normandie. Découvrez les mille détails de cette renaissance, au rythme lent et captivant de la nature." "À partir du lundi 4 mai à 6h30, le public pourra accéder en direct au dispositif exceptionnel de Slow TV « Le Sacre du Printemps », une immersion inédite au cœur du printemps normand.  Pensé comme une expérience conte...

  8th Street Film | Abdul Rahman | Missed Movies (YouTube) 1h00'29" (Missed Movies New Wave) 12 Apr 2026 Tamil, English subtitles. "Late at night, a stranger, an old man, and a waiter cross paths. Through quiet moments and subtle exchanges, their encounter reveals loneliness, memory, and a quiet search for meaning." Written, Directed & Edited by Abdul Rahman Loosely based on the short story by E. Hemingway : " A Clean, Well Lighted Place " (1933) [ PDF ] Read also at Unspoken Cinema: Interview with Abdul Rahman (8th Street) My review of Abdul Rahman's 8th Street I Reject The Invitation From God (Abdul Rahman) Film review All About Contemplation Cinema (Missed Movies New Wave) TAMIL

  Regarder tenir feat. Olivier Zuchuat (YouTube) 40'19" (Microciné Revue de Cinéma et de Télévision) 25 mars 2026 "À l’occasion de la parution de Attraits de la durée, Olivier Zuchuat revient sur un travail qui, sous des allures théoriques, reste profondément lié à une pratique du cinéma. Il ne cherche pas à redéfinir frontalement ce qu’est un film, mais à déplacer légèrement le point d’attention, à partir d’un élément simple — le plan — pour en éprouver les conséquences. L’idée, au fond, tient en peu de mots : le montage ne serait pas seulement ce qui relie les plans entre eux, mais ce qui s’opère déjà à l’intérieur du plan lui-même, dans sa durée, dans ses déplacements, dans la manière dont il organise l’espace et le temps. À partir de là, tout se reconfigure. Ce que l’on croyait stable — découpage, rythme, progression — devient plus incertain, plus diffus, comme si le film se mettait à respirer autrement. Certains exemples rendent cela immédiatement sensible. Dans les...

Latest addition to the Library page at Unspoken Cinema: "The concept of "slowness" which has gained significance in response to the rapid pace of industrialized and urbanized modern society, can be seen as a reaction to the challenges posed by consumer culture. When examined in conjunction with movements that embrace slowness as a way of life, such as "Slow Food," "Slow City," and "Slow Media," it becomes evident that this concept has developed a rich cultural and social ideological framework. The notion of slowness, which has garnered increasing attention in literature since the late 1980s, particularly through the works of Petrini and Berthelsen, has also found its way into the realm of cinema. This cinematic trend, often referred to as "slow cinema," is characterized by deliberate cinematographic choices. It can be traced back to the cinematic narratives of the 1960s and continues to influence contemporary filmmaking. Since the...