If there was ever a right time to revive the Kammerspielfilm, 2020 must be the year. The films in this pathway all take place in a limited space: a house, or even only a room. They show us that if one looks closely around, drama is never far away. For more thoughts on this Pathway, read the long read by Ela Bittencourt.
Titles in this Pathway
Observation of a crisis in restrained black-and-white, at micro and macro level. With the Covid-19 pandemic unfolding across the globe, an elderly woman fights for her life in a hospital in China. The family refuses to budge from her side, no matter what.
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In a dark neighborhood bar on the outskirts of Las Vegas, the regulars drop by one final time to seek refuge in alcohol and in each other. This cinéma vérité-style ode to the American dive bar evokes unexpected feelings of nostalgia.
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With bombs falling all around their home in Ukraine, Anna and her four children manage to keep the chaos of war at bay by making a film about their experiences.
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Distinctly untypical portrait of an elderly Spanish woman who calmly does what the director, her grandniece, tells her to do. In between all the instructions, disarming and true-to-life moments arise that are beyond anyone’s control.
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In protest against sensationalism in the documentary industry, Marc Isaacs makes a film in his own home. Blending fact and fiction, he explores the theme of hospitality and indirectly asks questions about authorship.
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The intimate record of a family’s life in lockdown. Filmmaker Kamila Chojnacka lives with her toddler and husband in their small home. News reports and telephone conversations with her grandmother form fragile connections to the outside world.
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In this blend of spy flick and observational documentary, 83-year-old Sergio goes undercover in an old folks’ home. Starting out as a wryly comical detective yarn, the film ultimately offers us an intimate look at affection and loneliness in old age.
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Zurich’s old railway station is making way for a giant prison, soon to be filled with rejected refugees. Their testimonies turn the spectacle of transformation, shot entirely from the filmmaker’s window, into a vision for our times.
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Filmmaker Hala El Kouch creates a therapy session setting to confront her parents about a traumatic event. Photos of a happy family accompany a conversation that takes an unexpected turn. Has permanent damage been done to the perfect picture?
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At a cafe in Buenos Aires, a group of aging Marcel Proust fans have been getting together for years to read In Search of Lost Time, the author’s seven-part classic novel. This black-and-white film celebrates writing, reading, and bygone times.
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The tunnels of an Armenian salt mine, 230 meters below the Earth’s surface, are home to an unusual kind of health center: a speleotherapy clinic. This magical-realistic graduation film follows the perpetual goings-on here without commentary.
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No news, no music, and no opinions—that’s what Darkfield Radio promises. Instead it provides an immersive two-person audio experience that takes you into a fantastic imaginary world where hearing is the nerve center of feeling and imagination.
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