D'EST 2/19
After a few scenes in Chantal Akerman's "D'est", I found myself murmuring "wow". The cinematography and composition of most shots were so simplistic and yet so rich in description that it was beautiful. Akerman succesfully had a film "written" without leaving her handprints all over it. She refers to her style as "documentary boardering on fiction". And I agree whole heartedly.
The movement amongst lines or groups of people, the viewing of children playing on ice, the way a woman cuts her sausage and bread all seemed very realistic, and yet so easily portrayed I found myself wondering whether Akerman lied to us all and really did script and plan the scenes. The film forces us to slow down and watch everything as (I imagine) Akerman had. Even though this process has been used in other films (Michael Snow, "So Is This"), watching "D'est" didn't have you at the edge of your seat, wanting to either fall asleep or grab an imaginary remote control and fast forward. You simply went with her flow and at the end of the film, I felt as though I knew the people personally and had become one of them. This is what I would reference to anyone who wants to understand composing shots, framing, and a unique way of telling a story.
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