Human MOOP: Matter Out of Place

Nikolaus Geyrhalter has described his static-camera, nearly architecturally-composed, observational docs as “archival material, which people will dig out in 50 or 100 years.” Which makes perfect sense since the Austrian auteur is not really a creator of “slow” cinema – an abundance of movement forever present within his frame – so much as works not bound by the manmade concept of time. And similar to many of our (last century’s) modern artists he prefers to let inanimate objects – which in turn become curious characters our eye is drawn to follow – take the narrative lead. Now with his latest Matter Out of Place, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival (and took the “green leopard” environmental prize), Geyrhalter has made what I’m guessing will be this year’s most riveting film about garbage. Though the title could just as easily apply to humankind as well.

To read the rest of my review visit Global Comment.