Distant Constellation

The resulting vignettes are funny, startling and touching. They offer an extraordinary account of what continues to matter to people and what falls away, and of the tenacity of some aspects of personality and the fragility of others.

It would take a telescope to observe anything exciting in “Distant Constellation,” Shevaun Mizrahi’s aptly named exercise in extreme-minimalist documentary. Said to be intended as a reflection on shifts in Turkish history and identity, it is too diffuse and withholding to add up to a cogent result.

Contemplating life’s endgame isn’t something I like to do too often — we’ll all get there soon enough — but this is a both bracingly rigorous and visceral experience, with a steady gaze that acts as an unexpected calming agent.