Slow Film – What is it and why you should care?
To give you a quick taster of slow cinema, watch the snippet below from Lav Diaz’s five and a half hour film, From What is Before.
As you just saw from the video snippet above, nothing much happens. It is just a shot of one woman holding a baby for the entire length of the trailer. This isn’t the only shot in the whole film (luckily), but it will help me explain what slow film is!
So, What is Slow Film?
Here’s a checklist of slow cinema’s main characteristics:
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- Lack of Dialogue: From the example above, there is no dialogue, and although there is dialogue in the film, there will be long periods where you’ll only hear a few words.
- Little Camera Movement: You also won’t see much camera movement. In the example above, you may see the background move, but the camera will held in position for most of the film.
- Sound: Slow cinema typically do not have soundtracks. Instead, as in the example above, you’ll only hear background/ambient noise.
- Long Takes: Lastly, but most importantly, slow films will be a collection of very long takes. In the film above, I measured a handful of the shots. On average, they were over 2 minutes long. If you don’t know if this is long or not, count the cuts for 2 minutes when you next go see a Hollywood action film. You’ll probably see over 20 shots (or cuts) in the same 2 minutes. Check out this 2 minute clip from Bourne vs. Still Walking below for an extreme example!
If the film you’re watching has all of the features above then you’re watching a slow film.
Why should you care about Slow Film?
Watching slow cinema is a completely different experience to binge-watching your favourite TV show. When you’re binge-watching TV you can just sit in your seat and let the TV tell you a story. In contrast, when you’re watching slow film you have to do more. You have to watch out for the subtle changes and put in work to interpret the images you are being shown.
Think of it as the difference between reading a comic and a novel. In the comic, you are given pictures to show exactly what you are reading. However, in a novel, you have to read the words and imagine the world that the author stimulates. The author never creates the world, you do with your imagination. In a similar way, in slow film, you are given much less than a normal movie. As a result, you have to put in more work to experience and learn from the film.
So, why is having to put in work a good thing? Sometimes you might just want to turn off after a long day at work.
And I agree, for all of you that just want to completely turn off after work then maybe slow cinema is not for you.
However, those of you who are patient enough to try slow cinema will reap the following rewards:
- Firstly, you will gain a greater appreciation of time. Like someone who meditates a lot, you will learn to become better people (sounds pretentious, but let me explain). You will become more patient, more capable of self-control, less quick to anger, and less manipulable by bright lights and loud bangs.
- Secondly, you’ll become a much better film viewer. Slow film forces you to pay attention to the subtle changes the director includes that you would otherwise overlook in the action blockbusters. You will be able to appreciate the art form much more.
- Lastly, you will become more creative. Just like the difference between comics and novels (explained above), you have to put in more interprative work when you’re watching the film. You will ask yourself why the director includes that 2 minute long shot of the woman and the baby sitting on the boat. You will ask yourself questions about the film which you will have to think up answers to. This process will make you smarter.
Where to Start
There is a world of Slow film out there, a lot of it accessible on the internet! Here’s a few of my recommendations and recommendations from others!
Slow films I have seen which I can recommend:
- From What is Before by Lav Diaz: Lav Diaz is one of the torch bearers of contemporary slow cinema and From What is Before is one of his best. Read more here.
- Mysterious Object at Noon by Apichatpong Weerasethaku: An intriguing mediation on the art of storytelling from the director that directed Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall his Past Lives. Read more here.
Slow films I have yet to see which I’ve heard great things about:
- Satantango by Bela Tarr
- Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami
- The Traveling Players by Theo Angelopoulos
- Solaris by Andrei Tarkovsky
- Once Upon a Time in Anatolia by Nuri Bilge Ceylan