omar olivares says 'could you comment on names of filmmakers that have or are working with
nothingness, emptiness, etc.'
also with reference to the question of 'complexicity'. Abbas Kiarostami has talked much of inserting narrative lacunae into the narrative of his films to strengthen the triangular dialogue (trialogue?- whilst we are at the business of neologising) between the camera, the actor and the viewer. thus 'emptiness' is diverted into abundance, and simplicity into complexity. of course this is going on in any film experience, but AK explicitly eschews 'noisy films' on the hollywood-bollywood model which crowd out the participatory nature of narrative formation with plot, emotion, music and empathy. in interviews, he celverly exercises a control over the process of interpretation of his films, by never explicitly denying a single interpretation, unless it is exclusivistic of the kind that says 'ten is a political statement against the repression of the feminine in Iran today'.
one could say, of course, that leaving things so open to interpretation closes down meaning, by refusing to comment on reality. to use another iranian as an example, mohsen makhmalbaf uses his films to deliver an explicit argument on how reality functions, and how it should. the presence of a deferred ideal is always present- though recently it has bcome more and more relativistic. does this close down or open up the desirable kind of complexity in his films? in the case of kandahar, i would say that it does, and that it is the moments which exist outside the argument that have most to say.
any thoughts?
ed hayes
Ed Hayes
openDemocracy
www.opendemocracy.net http://www.opendemocracy.net/
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