"Lost at the end of the world, on my island Sal, in the company of my dogs strutting around, I remember January in Tokyo, or rather I remember the images that I filmed in January in Tokyo. They have put themselves in the place of my memory, they are my memory. I ask myself how people remember if they do not make movies, or photographs, or tapes, how mankind used to go about remembering."
- Chris Marker, an excerpt taken from an essay about his film Sans Soleil
Continuing on the theme of experimental film that I've been delving into, Marker's San Soleil is a film that explores the construction of memory. The fickle act of remembering, combined with the limitations of the mind and its vulnerability to even the most subtle of influences, results in a history and narrative that is fluid and susceptible. The film meditates on the meaning of time, memory and existence.
The structure of the film itself has cause debate about its genre: travelogue, essay-film, documentary. The work incorporates fictional elements. It is a compilation of thoughts, reflections and images from Japan and Guinea-Bissau, among other locations. The used some found footage, but most of it was shot on location. The film is narrated by a women, who reads letter sent to her from the supposed cinematographer. I've only seen clips of this film, but have discovered that Criterion has released and reviewed the film. Here is a clip below:
- Chris Marker, an excerpt taken from an essay about his film Sans Soleil
Continuing on the theme of experimental film that I've been delving into, Marker's San Soleil is a film that explores the construction of memory. The fickle act of remembering, combined with the limitations of the mind and its vulnerability to even the most subtle of influences, results in a history and narrative that is fluid and susceptible. The film meditates on the meaning of time, memory and existence.
The structure of the film itself has cause debate about its genre: travelogue, essay-film, documentary. The work incorporates fictional elements. It is a compilation of thoughts, reflections and images from Japan and Guinea-Bissau, among other locations. The used some found footage, but most of it was shot on location. The film is narrated by a women, who reads letter sent to her from the supposed cinematographer. I've only seen clips of this film, but have discovered that Criterion has released and reviewed the film. Here is a clip below:
