2017
International Documentary Filmfestival Amster
入選
入選
In today’s society, where everything is measured by “efficiency,” the value and effectiveness of “art” and “making art” are constantly questioned. The themed selection What Art Can Do reveals that the act of creating art defies quantifiable KPIs. Artistic creation can withstand the challenges of value-driven thinking—if we are willing to rethink what “value” truly means. After all, every interpretation of value begins with humanity.
To document an extraordinary soul through the lens is to constantly wrestle with the dilemma of completeness. How can one capture the vastness of a life within the limited time of a film? It challenges the filmmaker’s depth of understanding and precision of perspective. Rather than striving for an all-encompassing portrait, it may be more powerful to focus on select moments—those glimmers that illuminate the subject’s essence. The camera becomes not only a tool to pierce through the surface, but also a means for sincere conversation with the person in front of it.
I think I’m falling more and more in love with documentaries. Choosing two films about Takuma Nakahira might feel a bit indulgent—but I can’t help it. On one hand, I genuinely love his work; on the other, these two films approach the same subject in completely different ways, and watching both reveals a richer, more layered experience. Andrei Tarkovsky: A Cinema Prayer and Greenaway Alphabet are not just fascinating because of the artists themselves. The former, directed by Tarkovsky’s son, feels like a poetic homage; the latter, a playful and profound conversation between Peter Greenaway and his daughter, offers a very different kind of parent-child dialogue. Both are worth savoring. And as for Suzaku… do I even need to say anything? Just—breathtaking.
Through the power of storytelling, directors shape films— and in return, those films leave indelible marks on their creative souls. Giloo invites you to step inside and outside the frame, visiting the lives of master filmmakers both behind and beyond the camera. See Hou Hsiao-hsien’s quiet charm when he sets down the director’s baton, hear David Lynch reflect on the hidden corners of his past, and witness Agnès Varda’s final farewell—infused with childlike wonder and grace. These films reveal the true faces of iconic auteurs— their artistic journeys, their obsessions, their passions, and yes, a touch of beautiful madness.