Event

FROM THE EAST

aka DEst
Dir. Chantal Akerman, 1993
France/Belgium, 110 min.

Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet bloc, and before it was too late, Chantal Akerman made a journey from East Germany in late summer, across Poland and the Baltics, to deepest winter in Moscow, filming everything that touched me. Tracking across city streets, landscapes, and faces, the film also takes us inside the private spaces of the countries inhabitants, where they peel potatoes, watch old TVs or stoically stare down the camera.

Akerman takes satisfaction in the demanding nature of her films. Most directors feel complimented, she has said, when viewers say they are not aware of passing time: But with me, you see the time pass. And you feel it pass. You sense that this is time that leads towards death Ive taken two hours of [your] life. Film Comment

While taking a minimalist approach to its form, FROM THE EAST is rich in content, with fascinatingly culturally specific settings, music and images creating an entertainingly retro and unexpectedly moving experience.