Experimental Film Reviews

Film: 1001 Nights
Director: Jananne Al-Ani
Duration: 6 mins
Year: 1998

1001 Nights involves 5 women talking about armed conflict and war. When one is talking, the other 4 shut their eyes as a story is told. The type of audio in this piece would best be described as 'on screen diagetic' because there is no other backing track or mood music. I found this film to be quite boring personally, but it was emotional in terms of the trouble of conflict people go through. It has alot of meaning and can be greatly related to what alot of parts of the world are going through.



Film: Koyaanisqatsi
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Duration: 87 mins
Year: 1983

This is a full length feature experimental film. It starts off with various tribal imagery and goes on to show the industrialisation of the 20th century. Military, factory and housing scenes are visible and represent the modern world that we live in. The film is a mix of diegetic and non-diegetic, and the premise is unclear.I thought this film was visually stunning and inspiring. It shows alot of dramatic and vibrant scenes that delight the eye sockets to a high extent. It uses alot of recycled scenes, such as the rocket breaking up as it hits the earth.



Film: Telling Lies
Director: Simon Ellis
Duration: 4 mins
Year: 2000

Telling Lies involves a telephone conversation, and is seen completely in animated captions. Arguing and crying are prevalent and love is the main point of discussion. The text increases when the tone is raised, with the pace being in time with the audio. I thought that this piece was both visually interesting and an audible delight. It was very unique and I had seen nothing like it before, so I applaud the director for his effect in this piece of experimental film. This piece is best decribed as diegetic.



Film: Gisele Kerozene
Director: Jan Kounen
Duration: 5 mins
Year: 1989

This is a comedic experimental film that uses stop motion throughout the feature. It portrays actors dressed up as witches flying around on broomsticks chasing one another. You can hear talking but it is merely gibberish.It was a non-diegetic piece of work which I found laughable and so did my class. The stop motion gave it a very interesting affect which in turn made it very much unique. Its gibberish language used in the soundtrack makes it viewable by anyone regardless of their language background.



Film: The Girl Chewing Gum
Director: John Smith
Duration: 12 mins
Year: 1976

This is a narrative film where the narrator takes the role of an imaginary director, and falsely directs people walking in the street without a care in the world. There is a constant siren sound in the background, and this is explained by a "bank robber" who walks by. It is both diegetic and non-diegetic.I thought that this piece was funny and interesting. It has a very simple notion, which just a camera perched into a London street corner filming day to day life. It very well could have an underlying story to it, such as spying, survellence and other 'Big Brother' type activitys.