D'Est (1993)

Chantal Akerman's film D'est, or From the East, is an intimate look into the lives of a different culture. The steady shots presented of Eastern Europe and Russia had a way of bending my perception of time. Watching this film gave me the impression of a document in the 70's or 80's when in reality it was filmed in 1993. This realization made me question my association of personally experienced cultural trends with distinct periods in time. There are two scenes in this movie that really stood out to me. First was a silhouetted crwod walking down a street subtly lit in a soft, glowing, yellow light. As they all walked steadily and quietly down the street it appeared as a scene out of a Dawn of the Dead. As the scene progressed music and talking became more audible seemingly making a commentary on the relationship held between foreign cultures. The second shot was a rolling dolly-like shot through a packed terminal. The camera carefully passed by the benches of a frequently responsive and tiresome crowd. Sometimes motions would be directed at the camera but the most effective, and most frequent, type of interaction came from a blank, senseless stare. Unfortunately for me those two scenes were not enough to make up a 110 minute film. The first half was able to retain my attention throughout but it became to feel repetative. Akerman's composition of the frame was visually impressive and her camera movement was insightful but the lack of contrasting motion made it bittersweet.
Thinking of this film as a documentary is an impressive thought to me. It uses almost no narrative content but is still able to convey a large amount if information about a certain part of the world. D'est offers a portrait of a foreign world that is in some ways, looking back at the viewer and for this it is a very interesting and worthwhile film staying true to its description of a "documentary on the border of fiction."

The East, no longer monolithically impersonal, is shown as both familiar and completely strange. This is a haunting and, quite literally, extraordinary film."—Francette Pacteau, San Francisco Film Festival

For Chantal Akerman's filmography check imdb.