Cinematic Point Of View

Legendary Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr passed away today at the age of 70.

Béla’s films came into my life at the perfect time a few years ago. They’re challenging in the best possible ways. His films explore the collapse of society and the human spirit with common themes of existential despair, futility, and endurance. His filmmaking style teaches you to slow down and wait. To watch and wonder.

Most of Tarr’s films are 2- 4 hours long and consistent of incredibly long shots often filled with silence or the sounds of nature. Instead of manufacturing reality through rapid cuts, Tarr’s films allow you to slip inside his visions like witnessing a live performance. It’s in this waiting space that truth appears within the fiction. You can’t get there without waiting. It’s a masterful trick and a powerful one when you let yourself experience it.

I haven’t seen all of his films but ‘Werckmeister Harmonies’ is one of my favorites. Rest In Peace, Béla.