Dir: Dominique Cabrera. France. 2024. 104mins
Despite the fact that it’s basically composed of pictures as an alternative of transferring photos, Chris Marker’s science fiction brief La Jetée (1962) continues to enthrall filmmakers and cinephiles alike. Working example: La Jetée, The Fifth Shot, an enchanting but in addition considerably rambling new documentary characteristic about only one shot —or reasonably {photograph}— within the brief. Issues kick off when an aged French man appears to recognise himself as a baby within the titular fifth shot, which units in movement a meandering investigation by director Dominique Cabrera (Corniche Kennedy).
Most interesting for cinephiles on a conceptual degree.
La Jetée, The Fifth Shot performs in DOK Leipzig competitors; maybe not coincidentally the competition that awarded Marker’s 1963 opus Le Joli Mai, which was shot concurrently La Jetée and which can also be abundantly excerpted right here. Cinematheques and cinephile broadcasters might need to give this a glance.
While visiting the Cinémathèque Française along with his grownup daughter Camille, Jean-Henri thinks he recognises himself because the little boy standing on the railing of the jetty — the well-known Jetée of the title — at Orly Airport close to the start of Marker’s brief. Jean-Henri comes from a household of so-called pieds-noirs, individuals of European descent who have been born in Algeria through the 130-odd years of French rule. Many moved to France across the time Algeria grew to become unbiased in 1962, though some had by no means set foot on this “motherland” (as was the case for Jean-Henri’s household). As is defined within the movie, these migrants would come to Orly to look at different flights from Algeria arrive, within the hope they’d recognise somebody from dwelling.
Because it occurs, Jean-Henri comes from a big household of image-makers and photographers and his cousin, Dominique Cabrera, is a filmmaker who directs this documentary concerning the investigation into a particularly unlikely coincidence. Cabrera’s first intuition is to attempt to work out if Jean-Henri is basically the boy within the grainy black-and-white shot. We see him standing subsequent to his mother and father who, like him, are staring forward, little question a airplane coming in. However with all of their backs turned to Marker’s digital camera, it’s arduous to determine them with 100% accuracy. A number of different relations in addition to photographic proof from private archives are introduced in to attempt to construct a case.
A lot of the motion occurs in what appears to be like like a dimly-lit modifying suite, the place researchers and editors are at work whereas Cabrera talks together with her topics. The conversations are casual, actually because she’s talking to relations however, even so, the way in which wherein the director lays out info is just not at all times instantly understandable. But a throughline of occupied with photos and their that means, concerning the doubles which can be created when capturing actuality, does hold issues intriguing.
Certainly, the movie is most interesting for cinephiles on a conceptual degree. One of many themes of the unique La Jetée, for instance, is time journey. Cabrera’s movie, made 60-odd years after La Jetée however with individuals who performed a task within the brief a lot youthful variations of themselves, can’t assist however mess around a little bit with the idea too. And apart from precise clips from different Marker movies, there are loads of winky inclusions that consult with the enduring filmmaker’s oeuvre. The household historical past, nonetheless, appears to be extra fascinating for the characters than for viewers. And that is doubly the case for overseas audiences who aren’t at the very least a little bit bit conscious of French colonial historical past.
Enhancing, courtesy of Sophie Brunet and Dominique Barbier, might have additionally used a bit extra rigour, because the movie does outstay its welcome at 104 minutes — nearly 4 instances the size of Marker’s brief. Because the movie was co-produced by Franco-German broadcaster Arte, maybe a shorter model for tv is already within the works.
Manufacturing firms: Advert Libitum
Worldwide gross sales: Edmee Doroszlaï libitumad@wanadoo.fr
Producers: Edmee Doroszlaï
Cinematography: Karine Aulnette
Enhancing: Sophie Brunet, Dominique Barbier
Music: Beatrice Thiriet, Oscar Turbant, Elise Bertrand