Unspoken/Contemplative Cinema

Whilst my other contemplative list here was a list of films I had seen and classified as contemplative (https://mubi.com/lists/contemplative-cinema-a-few-more-additions-to-the-collection), this is an index for all the contemplative works listed on Harry’s blog – Unspoken Cinema.

Harry’s classification slightly differs to my own, so you may find films in here which differ in form to the ones I’ve marked as contemplative
*The discussions have been really exciting so far, but I’ll ignore the “contemplation” argument for now, and instead concentrate on these 4 criteria (technical descriptors) :

PLOTLESSNESS : no obvious (forefront) drama, no beginning, no denouement, open-ending, no drive to go forward, no major narrative gimmicks (flashback, multilayered stories), simplicity, atmospherical depiction, distanciation of protagonist(s) with background action, no imminent threat, no external forces pressuring the protagonist(s). WORDLESSNESS : laconical interactions (or silent protagonist), no plot-drive expository filling, no psychological arguments, no voiceover, direct-sound (no score), body language. SLOWNESS : long takes, static shots/slow camerawork, patient pace, uneventfulness (down time), “unnecessary” mundanity, uncut movements, activities filmed in their entirety, extended wait/pauses, conscience of time. ALIENATION : disconnectedness, wandering/idleness/listlessness, solitude, fatalism, ennui/melancholy/depression, non-conformity, no intellectualized existentialism, distanciation of protagonist(s) with the world, with other characters, emptiness, empty frames, distanciation of the camera from the subject. [A] Contemplative Documentary (Lumière-Sokurov-Benning) [B] Non-Actors (Flaherty-Costa) © Contemplative Mundanity (Tsai-Bartas) [D] Laconic Conversation (Tarkovsky-Jancso-Tarr) [E] Mainstream Contemplation (Angelopoulos-Wong Kar wai) [F] Stylized Contemplation (Kaurismaki-Andersson) [G] Fantasized Contemplation (Barney)

Links to Contemplative Blogs
Tentative Chronology for (BROAD) Contemplative Cinema – Harry Tuttle
http://unspokencinema.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/chronology.html

Missing from Mubi
Afternoon Time (2005/BOONSINSUKH/Thailand) ©
Aphrodite (2006/Kilasme WU/Taiwan) [D]
Bergensbanen (2009/NRK/Norway) DOC [https://nrkbeta.no/2009/12/18/bergensbanen-eng/]
Bi, dung so! (2010/PHAN Dang Di/Vietnam/FR/Germany)
Craneway Event (2009/DEAN/UK)
Empty Space (2010/KHOO Wu Shaun, KWOK Li Chen, LIM De Jun/Singapore) [B]
Estheppan (1979/ARAVINDAN/India)
Four Men On A Raft (1942/WELLES/USA) DOC [B]
Hurtigruten Minutt for minutt (2011/NRK/Norway) [A]
L’attente (2000/Loznitsa/Russia)
La bolle di sapone (1911/OMEGNA/Italy) DOC [A]
Le Voyage Perpétuel (2008/LAPSUI/LEHMUSKALLIO/France) [A]
Les 3 sœurs du Yunnan (2012/WANG Bing/China-FR)
Les Hommes (2006/MICHEL/France) [A]
Lost in a moment | Shrift (1998/WHEATLEY/McCLEAN/USA) [A]
Lumière du Nord (2010/Loznitsa/Russia) DOC
Mala época (1998/De Rosa/Moreno/Roselli/Saad/Argentina)
Muri Romani (2000/JOST/Italy)
Nas correntes de luz da ria formosa (1997-99/JOST/Italy)
Palo y Hueso (1968/Sarquis/Argentina) ©
Passages (2006/JOST/?)
Profils paysans: l’approche (2001/DEPARDON/France) DOC [A]
Profils paysans: le quotidien (2005/DEPARDON/France) DOC [A]
Punggok Rindukan Bulan / This Longing (2008/RUDIN/Malaysia) ©
Rag and Bone (1997/PARRIOTT/USA)
Roma – un ritratto improvvisorio (2000/JOST/Italy)
Slow Life (2012/MERCHIOT/France)
Solitude (2001/SCHLAHT/Canada)
Struggle (2003/MADER/Austria) ©
Ten Minutes Older (2001/KIAROSTAMI/Iran/FR) [A]
The Amber Sexalogy (2006/RUBIN/Malaysia) [D]
The Last Season: Shawaks / Demsala Dawî : Şewaxan (2008/OZ/Turkey) [A]
The Outlaw Son (2007/LOWERY/USA) ©
The Salt of Svanetia (1930/KALATAZOV/Russia) DOC [B]
The Wind Blows Where It Will (2007/MEHRA/USA) ©
Time between Dog and Wolf (2006/JEONG Soo-Il/Korea) ©
Tombée de nuit sur Shanghai (2007/AKERMAN/Portugal) DOC [A]
Vergessensfuge (2004/JOST/USA)
Voices, Tilted Screens and Extended Scenes of Loneliness: Filipinos in High Definition (2007/TORRES/Philippines)
Why did Bodhi-Dharma leave for the East? (1989/BAE Yong-kyun/Korea)
World Cruise 2010 (2011/EIKAWA Yuki/Japan)
Worldly Desires (2005/WEERASETHAKUL/Thailand) [A]
WTC the first 24 Hours (2002/SAURET/USA) [A]
Yek shab / One Night (2005/KARIMI/Iran) [E]
Yizhi / Traces (2014/WANG Bing/China) DOC 25’

New Additions not present
300 hommes (2014/GRAS/FR) DOC
Fall Equinox (2016/BENNING/USA) DOC
Fragment (2015/DIAZ/The Philippines)

Contemplative Blogs:
Unspoken Cinema
Unspoken Cinema

Tentative Chronology for (BROAD) Contemplative Cinema – Harry Tuttle
Tentative Chronology for (BROAD) Contemplative Cinema – Harry Tuttle

The Art of Slow Cinema
The Art of Slow Cinema

Introduction to contemplative Cinema [Italian – Paxy]
Introduction to contemplative Cinema [Italian – Paxy]

Articles:
Screening Boredom: The History and Aesthetics of Slow Cinema
Screening Boredom: The History and Aesthetics of Slow Cinema

Contemplatieve Cinema
Contemplatieve Cinema

Other Lists on Mubi:

Unspoken/Contemplative Cinema – Slow Immersion
Unspoken/Contemplative Cinema – Slow Immersion

Contemplative Cinema Starter Pack – © <’,))( Astro-T​ofuprax​ographe​r
Contemplative Cinema Starter Pack – © <’,))( Astro-T​ofuprax​ographe​r

Worship of Silence – Paxy
Worship of Silence – Paxy

Contemplative Cinema is a Cause to Celebrate Consciousness, Cuz – House of Leaves
Contemplative Cinema is a Cause to Celebrate Consciousness, Cuz – House of Leaves

Go Slow – Nadin
Go Slow – Nadin

Russian Meditative Films – True4
Russian Meditative Films – True4

Screening Boredom: The History and Aesthetics of Slow Cinema – IMDB List
Screening Boredom: The History and Aesthetics of Slow Cinema – IMDB List

Films which are absent from MUBI:
Kano (2011) Paul Tunge / Norway

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