12 novembre 2007

Contemplative Blogathon 2

I hope that we haven't said everything that had to be said about "Contemplative Cinema" (C.C.) yet. Nearly a year since the experiment at Unspoken Cinema, to run a blogathon over a month on a team blog. It was a great success then. But was it too heavy that it burnt out already? I know I did burn out. But isn't it the spirit of a marathon to play on endurance, instead of a mass posting on a single day, like the traditional format used to be? Well, seeing that nobody else tried this event-blog experience on a long period, I assume it was not approved by the blogathon regulars...
I wish the interest for this perspective on cinema would have lasted beyond the timeframe of the blogathon event... or even have some repercussions in film reviewing, to reconsider the way we write about films that are difficult to put into words. Maybe I missed the examples of this new type of film writing, maybe I'm wrong in expecting this evolution. Anyway, this concept of C.C. needs more critical scrutiny, more deconstruction, more contrarianism, more elaboration, more sampling, more case studies, more participation...
I'm the first guilty, since I didn't pursue my investigations as planned on the blog. I'm lost in my scattered notes, and overwhelmed by the number of themes and films I'd like to explore at the same time. Result, I've postponed everything.


Hopefully this anniversary will be an opportunity to bring forth another series of ideas and posts to discuss this type of cinema. What are the new films since last year? What are the new developments?
I don't know what topic could refresh and inspire new contributions or if another blogathon is even desirable... Anybody out there wants to repeat on January 2008? (I know I'm not trying to be original, and find something completely different for my second blogathon...) ;)
Probably not a month-long event this time though. Maybe just a week-long deadline (Sunday 6th-Sunday 13th January 2008 would be ok?). Go to Unspoken Cinema

I would propose something like "narrative strategies in plotless films". To look at how C.C. films manage to tell a story without the traditional dramatic structure. To see if there is one alternative strategy or if there are various types of contemplative plotlessness in these films to compensate the lack of dialogue and suspense-drive.
Contrarians could even prefer to note how we can find traces of classic narration (or an altered form) in C.C. films.
Suggestions for a topic are welcome. If there are other ideas before January, we can always change it. Find the blogathon banners here.
Well, just to let you know that the Unspoken Cinema team-blog is still alive, or strives to be, and that you are welcome to participate.
What do you think?

4 commentaires:

Marina a dit…

Hello, Harry!

This is a wonderful idea and I hope the second "round" will be as stimulating and prolific as the first one. In fact, it could initiate a blogosphere tradition... A sort of anniversary "conference".

Personally, I'm not sure I'll manage to take part, at least not regularly. But it will certainly stop the never-ending postponing... :)

I see you've been writing about Deleuze; I just started Bergson's "Matter and memory" in preparation to a serious engagement with Deleuze's first Cinema book, so I'll be coming back to your posts again and again.

Take care!

HarryTuttle a dit…

Hi Marina,
I do hope you will be part of it again this time! You were one of the 3 or 4 major leader in the last blogathon, to keep it lively and active.

Yes, I'm reading Deleuze's Cinema 1&2 (though very slowly and disorderly I must say), but it's hard to grasp it and make sense of his dense thought. It's very rich though. I'll try Bergson when I'm finished with Deleuze... so I'm interested if you're going to write posts about Matière et Mémoire.

See you around

Renaud Letellier a dit…

I'd very interested to participate since I missed the last one and have been reading with great interest everything that has been written in this blogathon.

It's good you speak of this ahead of time because I'm quite of a slow writer, so then now I can start if I want to be in time.

One prediction for this blogathon: I'm feeling there will be a lot of things to say about Reygadas' latest masterpiece Silent Light. At least, I definitely have.

HarryTuttle a dit…

Salut Renaud,
merci de te joindre à nous. J'attends avec impatience ta contribution. Moi aussi je suis lent, et je sais qu'il faut me prévenir à l'avance pour que je me prépare à un blogathon, alors 2 mois de préavis me semble assez correct, en plus y'a les vacances de Noël entre temps.
Stellet Licht est pas encore sorti en France, j'espère pouvoir le voir avant Janvier.