EIFF: People's Park

Private lives of the Peoples Republic of China are played out in the public space of a Chengdu park and recorded as historical document in Libbie D Cohn and J P Sniadecki’s vibrantly humane documentary. In one unbroken 78-minute shot they descend from the lush trees, moving in among the waltzing pensioners and robust, ear-splitting timbre of al fresco karaoke to glide through this bustling cauldron of life.

Unlike Russian Ark or Godard’s Weekend, the single take does not presume arthouse credence or high concept dramatic effect. Instead it provides an unblinking narrative of life; a capturing of truth. Dialogue consists solely of a background chattering buzz; we must absorb everything visually. We understand family bonds through protective grasped hands while the authentic smiles of everyday passers-by hold far more beauty than a movie star’s. Some react with curiosity to the camera’s foreign eye but very few engage with it, indicating, perhaps, a level of preparation for those caught in the lens and I suppose then a tweaking of their behaviour, a slight distortion of truth. 

The running time is also a little long, a 20-minute shave would do it no harm; or it might work better shown in full as an art installation, allowing viewers to dip in and out of these lives. But, just as our attention begins to wander, a surreal, outrageous climax of grinding pop grannies awakens us like a slap to the face. This is an important document of time and culture, unveiling the reality of daily life with a neutral gaze. The camera moves among the people, providing us with anthropology contrary to Frazer’s Golden Bough perspective of exotic otherness. The biggest revelation for some may be that ‘they’ are, quite simply, ‘us’.