Visitors is the latest film from the acclaimed director of the Qatsi trilogy, Godfrey Reggio; a film, in collaboration with filmmaker Jon Kane, which also sees Reggio reunite with composer Philip Glass for the first time since the trilogy came to an end in 2002.
While Koyaanisqatsi and its following two films are an artistic display of everyday life sped up, slowed down and everything in between, Visitors focuses on human expression, contrasted to desolate environments, devoid of human interaction. From run down buildings and a boardwalk carnival to natural environments impacted by human interaction in their own way, the film beautifully conveys the world in a way that only Reggio could make a reality.
The focus of the film, however, is certainly the portraiture that shows human expression and emotion (or lack there of) in slow motion. It asks the question, do we see and know more about someone by seeing less, for longer? And no matter the colour of our skin, or our ethnicity, are we really that different? And then there’s the gorilla (yes, it’s real), the other part of the story of human evolution. At the end of the day, we’re all just visitors. Well, something like that. It’s the sort of film you can interpret as you will and enjoy the visual journey along the way.
The film had its Australian premiere at the Sydney Festival on Thursday night, which saw the Philip Glass score performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The composition, though uniquely Glass, was considerably more understated than some of the American composer’s most famous works, even than the Qatsi trilogy or the Oscar winning documentary Fog of War. But in many ways, so is the film. There are moments of true splendour, however, that only Glass is capable of, and it’s here that the film – and its score – truly shines.
The Symphony performed the piece with class and the film was a wonder to behold. That said, after over two weeks of late nights thanks to the Festival, it was hardly the most upbeat of ways to help bring the festival to an end. Nonetheless, it was a thought provoking, beautiful art piece that deserved its time in the spotlight, in a way that only the Festival could provide.
So comes to an end my personal coverage for the year, and what a festival it has been! The festival village was a major success and by all accounts so were the latest Parramatta expansions. I already can’t wait until next year. Until then, keep your eyes open for an exclusive series of performances from Amanda Palmer filmed at the festival. They’ll be premiering on the AU soon, along with a few final pieces looking back on the event! Thanks for joining us on this journey…
