Une histoire de vent

After spending his life recounting the conflicting relationship between man and nature, Joris Ivens, already in his old age, felt that the natural element no longer related to the human but to the metaphysical. He leaves with his lifelong companion Marceline for the Chinese desert to film the invisible: the wind. The wait is long and despairing, and the wind only arrives when conjured up by a sorceress’s magic. The whole film is driven by an élan towards the imaginary: a tribute to Méliès‘ A Trip to the Moon may seem somewhat surprising from someone like Ivens, as may the choice of re-construction when he is refused permission to film the imperial statues. As the poetic testament of this great documentary filmmaker, the film casts new light on his entire production. (Maria Bonsanti)