Five Obstructions Film

Out of all the films and clips we have seen this semester, this was by far my favorite. I found Leth's film style/content to be really interesting--the idea of the perfect human. I love how he dealt with the obstructions and their contrast to the original film. His use of bold textures and colors in the "reboot" videos were beautiful--his Cuba film was particularly rich in these qualities. Out of all his videos, I loved the one in Brussels the most; it read like an experimental movie style to me. It particularly reminded me of the Brechtian theater model--the use of a narrator and characters that explain to the viewer what is happening and who they are. The scene where the woman roles down the window to talk into the camera was a Brecht-like move on Leth's part. This style directly calls attention to the audience's presence in the performance.

Overall, in terms of the content in relation to us, I like the idea of obstructions. Limitations on projects, while irritating at first, really help the creative process. I certainly find that the more open-ended projects are more difficult and daunting. Obstructions require you to get out of your usual comfort zone and solve problems you wouldn't normally be faced with, as well as give you a starting point.