BODYSONG is a must-see emotional roller-coaster build up out of
clips of found footage from all periods of film-making from all over
the world. A cinematic experience in the true sense of the word, using
images and music (a fantastic diverse film score from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood) to speak to the audience on a gut
and heart level. In a time where the individual is paramount this
intelligent film dares to push you to think about what it means to be
human.
At first the film follows the cycle of life, starting with conception, a
cascade of births, growing up, mating rituals and sex, followed by
violence, destruction, old age, illness and death. Because there is
no voice-over used, the images are incredibly strong. There is no
way to escape the visual, you cannot box it with knowledge and
therefore the less pleasant sides of humanity are straight in your
face. We are all animals driven by procreation and lust for power,
moving in herds and I watching this, am one of them. I think I am
special, but I am not.
Fortunately director Simon Pummell then shows us the redemptive side of humanity: the search for meaning. Through religion and ritual, art, dreams, beliefs and solidarity.
Particularly interesting is the introduction of speech very late in the
film, adding cinematic ally as a positive, the discerning factors
between animal and human: voice and reason.
The film ends upbeat, pulling out into space, leaving the human
species on their planet, with all their smallness and bigness
ticking over, generation after generation.
The Bodysong website delivers finally something very few film
websites do: a meaningful experience in itself and not just a
promotional tool. The website has all the clips used in the film and
it is on the website you can find out what, when and by whom. The
choice for mostly amateur non-fiction footage makes absolute
sense to me as this film speaks about real people. That the
choice is also highly personal (and anyone else making this film
would choose different clips) echo's and underlines the theme of
the film: we are all the same, but different.
clips of found footage from all periods of film-making from all over
the world. A cinematic experience in the true sense of the word, using
images and music (a fantastic diverse film score from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood) to speak to the audience on a gut
and heart level. In a time where the individual is paramount this
intelligent film dares to push you to think about what it means to be
human.
At first the film follows the cycle of life, starting with conception, a
cascade of births, growing up, mating rituals and sex, followed by
violence, destruction, old age, illness and death. Because there is
no voice-over used, the images are incredibly strong. There is no
way to escape the visual, you cannot box it with knowledge and
therefore the less pleasant sides of humanity are straight in your
face. We are all animals driven by procreation and lust for power,
moving in herds and I watching this, am one of them. I think I am
special, but I am not.
Fortunately director Simon Pummell then shows us the redemptive side of humanity: the search for meaning. Through religion and ritual, art, dreams, beliefs and solidarity.
Particularly interesting is the introduction of speech very late in the
film, adding cinematic ally as a positive, the discerning factors
between animal and human: voice and reason.
The film ends upbeat, pulling out into space, leaving the human
species on their planet, with all their smallness and bigness
ticking over, generation after generation.
The Bodysong website delivers finally something very few film
websites do: a meaningful experience in itself and not just a
promotional tool. The website has all the clips used in the film and
it is on the website you can find out what, when and by whom. The
choice for mostly amateur non-fiction footage makes absolute
sense to me as this film speaks about real people. That the
choice is also highly personal (and anyone else making this film
would choose different clips) echo's and underlines the theme of
the film: we are all the same, but different.