If you are looking for an unconventional documentary, "Ten" is right up your alley. The entire film takes place in the director's, Abbas Kiarostami, vehicle and is a collection of 10 different interviews with Iranian family, friends, and random street walkers. The car is rigged with two cameras, one camera facing Abbas and the other facing the passenger--this is the only set-up. A passenger gets into the vehicle and as they head to their destination the viewer watches as a normal conversation ensues between the passenger and Abbas. There is a title, "1,2,3..etc" of each interview followed by the start of the interview and the end, usually when they reach a destination. The documentary covers people varying from the director's son, to an Iranian prostitute she picked up accidently on the street.
Although the camera is present and noticed by the passenger there is an amazing quality of realism with each interview. Each person is extremely open and natural in their actions and reactions. There is nothing held back and no sign of discomfort over the fact that there is a camera recording the conversation. Because of this, the documentary is a rare and fascinating view of real life in Iranian culture.
It is, however, only a small view into Iranian life as you are confined to the limits of what is inside the vehicle. There are many times I wish I could have seen more of what is going on outside the vehicle; intriguing people and objects in the background raised questions about Iranian culture that are never answered in the documentary. It is strictly 10 interviews with various subjects confined to a car, with two cameras, edited shot/reverse shot.
Nonetheless, the documentary is groundbreaking in that it discovered an untraditional way of making a documentary. Its unique style and stark realism won me over immediately. I was drawn into the lives of these characters and often found myself wanting to participate in the conversation as if I were in the back seat. If you're tired of the same old documentary this is definitely one to check out.
1 comment:
This sounds interesting. I definitely need to check it out. I am doing a series of ten interviews for my project so it is right up my alley. I think when you have something that is structured like this it would be difficult to have a view outside of the car setting. In my interviews, I have to realize they are only a slice of the pie that represents who these people are and I have to do my best to choose the minute that represents them, knowing that I could never fully show the whole of their being.
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