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Lo más cercano a Lessons of Darkness primero
Powaqqatsi 1988
Documentary
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
The sides of Powaqqatsi
- Workers of the developing world in slow motion
- A Philip Glass score
- No words at all
Good for you if
- you like faces and crowds filmed in slow motion.
- you like a Philip Glass score carrying a whole film.
- you like feeling the scale of human labour across continents.
Bad for you if
- you need a story that moves forward.
- you need the images explained, and no one says a word.
About: labour · modernity · tradition
Naqoyqatsi 2002
Documentary
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
The sides of Naqoyqatsi
- A wordless montage of a digital world
- A Philip Glass score with Yo-Yo Ma's cello
- Archive images reworked by computers
Good for you if
- you like letting images wash over you for an hour and a half.
- you like a Philip Glass score carrying a whole film.
- you like the third Qatsi film's strange computer-made imagery.
Bad for you if
- you need a story that moves forward.
- you want people talking, and nobody speaks here.
About: technology · violence · modern life
The Image Book 2018
Documentary
In Le Livre d’Image, Jean-Luc Godard recycles existing images (films, documentaries, paintings, television archives, etc.), quotes excerpts from books, uses fragments of music. The driving force is poetic rhyme, the association or opposition of ideas, the aesthetic spark through editing, the keystone. The author performs the work of a sculptor. The hand, for this, is essential. He praises it at the start. “There are the five fingers. The five senses. The five parts of the world (…). The true condition of man is to think with his hands. Jean-Luc Godard composes a dazzling syncopation of sequences, the surge of which evokes the violence of the flows of our contemporary screens, taken to a level of incandescence rarely achieved. Crowned at Cannes, the last Godard is a shock film, with twilight beauty.
The sides of The Image Book
- A collage of film clips, paintings and archives
- Godard's voice over fragments of music and books
- Five chapters about images and violence
Good for you if
- you like images cut, saturated and set against each other.
- you're happy to be left with ideas rather than answers.
- you enjoy working out why Godard puts two images side by side.
Bad for you if
- you need people and a story, and there are none here.
- you won't read subtitles over dense French narration.
- you can't stand archive footage of war and killing.
About: cinema · violence · memory · the Arab world
Encounters at the End of the World 2008
Documentary
Acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog travels to Antarctica, where he finds a desolate, beautiful landscape, largely untouched by human hands, and a group of truly unique people who risk their lives to study it. Centered at McMurdo Station, the United States' largest Antarctic research center, Herzog explores the minds of the scientists willing to abandon civilization and endure volatile conditions to learn more about the continent's wildlife and awe-inspiring natural wonders.
The sides of Encounters at the End of the World
- A research station in Antarctica
- Divers under the ice
- A penguin heading inland alone
Good for you if
- you like ice caves, volcanoes and seals under the sea ice.
- you like silent dives beneath the Antarctic ice.
- you like Werner Herzog's odd questions to odd people.
Bad for you if
- you need momentum, and this one wanders at Herzog's pace.
- you'd rather not hear musings on the end of humanity.
About: nature · solitude · science · the end of the world
Voyage of Time: Life's Journey 2017
Documentary
A celebration of the universe, displaying the whole of time, from its start to its final collapse. This film examines all that occurred to prepare the world that stands before us now: science and spirit, birth and death, the grand cosmos and the minute life systems of our planet.
The sides of Voyage of Time: Life's Journey
- The birth of the universe
- Life appearing and evolving on Earth
- A narrator asking questions to a mother figure
Good for you if
- you like feeling small in front of billions of years.
- you want galaxies, volcanoes and cells as pure images.
- you like the cosmos from its first moment to its end.
Bad for you if
- you need a story that moves, not a long meditation.
- you roll your eyes at whispered questions to the universe.
About: creation · the meaning of life · time
2001. Una odisea del espacio 1968
Película
Mientras investigan la aparición de misteriosos monolitos en el universo, dos astronautas luchan contra la inteligencia artificial de su nave.
Las caras de 2001. Una odisea del espacio
- Simios que descubren las herramientas
- Una computadora que no abre las puertas
- Un viaje más allá del infinito
Buena para ti si
- te gustan las naves que bailan un vals al ritmo de El Danubio azul, en planos perfectamente compuestos.
- te gusta una película que avanza como una sinfonía.
- quieres sentirte pequeño ante el universo.
Mala para ti si
- necesitas personajes con los que conectar. Dave y Frank siguen fríos y tranquilos, y la computadora HAL es la que muestra más sentimiento.
- quieres que pase algo. Hay tramos largos en silencio.
- quieres una explicación clara del final.
Temas: la evolución · la tecnología · lo desconocido
Apocalypse Now 1979
Película
Durante la guerra de Vietnam, al joven Capitán Willard, un oficial de los servicios de inteligencia del ejército estadounidense, se le ha encomendado entrar en Camboya con la peligrosa misión de eliminar a Kurtz, un coronel renegado que se ha vuelto loco. El capitán deberá ir navegar por el río hasta el corazón de la selva, donde parece ser que Kurtz reina como un buda despótico sobre los miembros de la tribu Montagnard, que le adoran como a un dios.
Las caras de Apocalypse Now
- Un capitán enviado río arriba a matar a un coronel
- Helicópteros y Wagner
- Una selva que vuelve locos a los hombres
Buena para ti si
- te gustan las imágenes de guerra que parecen un delirio febril.
- te gusta un viaje hacia la oscuridad.
- te gustan The Doors y Wagner sobre una selva en llamas.
Mala para ti si
- dos horas y media de lento descenso son demasiado para ti.
- no aguantas mucha locura esta noche. Soldados drogados con ácido y hombres que pierden la razón llenan el viaje río arriba.
- las escenas de guerra brutales son demasiado para ti.
Temas: la locura · la guerra · la moral
The Wild Blue Yonder 2005
Documentary
An alien narrates the story of his dying planet, his and his people's visitations to Earth and Earth's self-made demise, while human astronauts in space are attempting to find an alternate planet for surviving humans to live on.
The sides of The Wild Blue Yonder
- An alien narrator from a dying planet
- Real astronauts in orbit
- Footage from under the Antarctic ice
Good for you if
- you like Werner Herzog turning real footage into a science fiction tale.
- you like the feeling of drifting through space and ice.
- you love dreamlike images of divers under the ice.
Bad for you if
- you need science fiction where the science holds up.
- you need momentum. Herzog lingers for minutes on astronauts floating in orbit.
About: exile · the end of a world · the search for a home
Human 2015
Documentary
A collection of stories about and images of our world, offering an immersion to the core of what it means to be human. Through these stories full of love and happiness, as well as hatred and violence, it brings us face to face with the Other, making us reflect on our lives. From stories of everyday experiences to accounts of the most unbelievable lives, these poignant encounters share a rare sincerity and underline who we are – our darker side, but also what is most noble in us, and what is universal. Our Earth is shown at its most sublime through never-before-seen aerial images accompanied by soaring music, resulting in an ode to the beauty of the world, providing a moment to draw breath and for introspection. This film is a politically engaged work which allows us to embrace the human condition and to reflect on the meaning of our existence.
The sides of Human
- Faces talking straight to the camera
- Aerial views of the Earth
- Stories of love, war and poverty
Good for you if
- you like aerial images of the Earth that hold you still.
- you're moved by strangers telling you about love and loss.
- you like a soaring score between the voices.
Bad for you if
- you can't sit through three hours in one evening.
- you can't take testimonies of war and poverty face to face.
- you won't read subtitles in dozens of languages.
About: humanity · love · injustice
Waltz with Bashir 2008
Documentary
A film director from Israel interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.
The sides of Waltz with Bashir
- An Israeli director who can't remember his war
- Interviews with fellow veterans of Lebanon, 1982
- Animated memories that end on real footage
Good for you if
- you want to know what a war does to the memory of those who fought it.
- you like a director investigating his own past.
- you like dreamlike animated images, like soldiers rising from the sea at night.
Bad for you if
- you'd rather not see a war documentary in animation.
- you won't read subtitles. It's in Hebrew.
- you can't take a film about guilt and the dead of a war, seen through a soldier's nightmares.
About: memory · guilt · war
Angel's Egg 1985
Anime
In the ruins of a strange city, a young girl takes care of a large egg she holds carefully in her arms. She bonds with a boy who is searching for a bird he saw in a dream.
The sides of Angel's Egg
- A girl guarding a giant egg
- A drowned city of shadows
- A soldier who barely speaks
Good for you if
- you like Yoshitaka Amano's designs in dark, flooded streets.
- you like a film that leaves you to decide what the egg means.
- you like a dream with almost no words.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you need momentum, and this is long silences and slow walks.
About: faith · hope · emptiness
Life After People: The Series 2009
Documentary
Life After People is a television series on which scientists, structural engineers, and other experts speculate about what might become of Earth should humanity instantly disappear. The featured experts also talk about the impact of human extinction on the environment, and the vestiges of civilization thus left behind.
The sides of Life After People: The Series
- Cities without a single human
- Engineers predicting how buildings fall
- Nature taking back the streets
Good for you if
- you like imagining the world going on without us.
- you like watching plants and animals take back a city.
- you want experts explaining what would really happen to steel and concrete.
Bad for you if
- you need people and a story to follow.
- you'd rather not spend an evening on a world where humanity is gone for good.
About: time · extinction · nature
Moonage Daydream 2022
Documentary
A cinematic odyssey featuring never-before-seen footage exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey.
The sides of Moonage Daydream
- David Bowie in his own words
- A collage of concerts, films and paintings
- Ziggy Stardust to Berlin and beyond
Good for you if
- you like Bowie's songs loud and woven through the whole film.
- you want a documentary that feels like a trip.
- you like the strange, shape-shifting side of Bowie.
Bad for you if
- two hours and fifteen minutes of collage is too much for you.
- you want a life explained. Bowie's thoughts on art and change come in fragments, with no narrator to sum up.
About: reinvention · art · time
Pina 2011
Documentary
Pina is a feature-length dance film in 3D with the ensemble of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, featuring the unique and inspiring art of the great German choreographer, who died in the summer of 2009.
The sides of Pina
- The dancers of Pina Bausch's company
- Dances staged in the streets and hills of Wuppertal
- Wim Wenders filming in 3D
Good for you if
- you like dancers filmed in factories, parks and on a hanging train.
- you like a film carried by music and movement.
- you want to feel what a body can say without words.
Bad for you if
- you need words and a story to stay with a film.
- you need momentum, and long dance pieces lose you.
About: art · grief · the body
El viaje de Chihiro 2001
Anime
De camino a su nueva casa, una niña de diez años y sus padres se adentran en el mundo de los espíritus. Sus padres se convierten en cerdos y ella tiene que trabajar en unos baños para salvarlos.
Las caras de El viaje de Chihiro
- Un mundo extraño con sus propias reglas
- Una niña que encuentra su valor
- Momentos tranquilos y naturaleza
- Cada fotograma dibujado a mano
Buena para ti si
- te encanta perderte en un mundo con sus propias reglas extrañas.
- te gusta no saber qué va a cruzar la puerta a continuación.
- te gustan las películas que se detienen a respirar, como ese tranquilo viaje en tren.
Mala para ti si
- no ves películas de animación.
- quieres que todo esté explicado. Gran parte de los baños nunca lo está.
Temas: crecer · la codicia · conservar tu nombre · el trabajo
Koyaanisqatsi 1983
Documentary
Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.
The sides of Koyaanisqatsi
- Time-lapse cities and empty desert
- A score by Philip Glass
- An hour and a half without a word spoken
Good for you if
- you can watch landscapes and crowds in time-lapse for an hour and a half.
- you want Philip Glass carrying the whole film.
- you like canyons, clouds and deserts filmed from the air.
Bad for you if
- you want people talking, and there is no dialogue or narration here.
- you watch for characters to follow, and this film has none.
- you need a story going somewhere, and this is images and music only.
About: nature · technology · cities
Tales from the Loop 2020
Series
The story of the town and people who live above “The Loop,” a machine built to unlock and explore the mysteries of the universe – making things possible that were previously relegated only to science fiction.
The sides of Tales from the Loop
- A small Ohio town above a strange machine
- Rusted robots in snowy fields
- A different neighbour in each episode
Good for you if
- you like quiet, patient episodes with long silences.
- you like Simon Stålenhag's paintings brought to life.
- you like science fiction that feels small, personal and strange.
Bad for you if
- you need some hope, and many episodes end on loss and loneliness.
- you want the mysteries of the Loop explained.
About: time · loneliness · family

For All Mankind 1989
Documentary
A testament to NASA's Apollo program of the 1960s and '70s. Composed of actual NASA footage of the missions and astronaut interviews, the documentary offers the viewpoint of the individuals who braved the remarkable journey to the moon and back.
The sides of For All Mankind
- NASA footage of the Apollo missions
- Astronauts remembering in their own voices
- A Brian Eno score
Good for you if
- you like the trip to the Moon told by the astronauts who made it.
- you like seeing Earth from the Moon in real footage.
- you like Brian Eno's ambient music over space images.
Bad for you if
- you need more drama than a calm, floating journey.
- you find 1960s footage dated.
About: exploration · awe · history
Under the Skin 2014
Film
A seductive stranger prowls the streets of Glasgow in search of prey: unsuspecting men who fall under her spell.
The sides of Under the Skin
- An alien in a woman's body driving around Glasgow
- Men lured into a black liquid void
- Hidden cameras on real Scottish streets
Good for you if
- you like Scarlett Johansson as an alien studying humans from a van.
- you like a film that explains almost nothing.
- you like images of men sinking into black liquid, under a strange score.
Bad for you if
- you need momentum and can't sit through long silences.
- you'd rather avoid a lot of nudity.
About: humanity · the body · loneliness

The House Is Black 1963
Documentary
Set in a leper colony in the north of Iran, The House is Black juxtaposes "ugliness," of which there is much in the world as stated in the opening scenes, with religion and gratitude.
The sides of The House Is Black
- A leper colony in northern Iran
- Poetry read over the images
- Children at school in the colony
Good for you if
- you like black and white images that stay with you.
- you have twenty minutes, not two hours.
- you want to see real lives most people never look at.
Bad for you if
- you'd rather not see illness and disfigurement up close.
- you find black and white films from the sixties dated.
- you won't read subtitles over Persian poetry.
About: suffering · faith · dignity