A Story of Children and Film – Review by Frank L.

Opens at the IFI on Friday the 4th April.

A documentary by Mark Cousins

According to the official blurb on the film’s website, the film ‘combines the child’s eye view of Mark Cousins’ acclaimed film The First Movie with the revelations and bold movie history of his 15 hour documentary The Story of Film: an Odyssey‘. However the film begins and ends with van Gogh, whose life was over before movies were in existence. His view of the world was not the view that his contemporaries grasped and equally adults often fail to grasp the world of children who are all around them. Cousins’ encyclopaedic knowledge of cinema, as shown by his Odyssey, forms the warp in this documentary as he weaves weft-like excerpts from 53 movies from 25 countries into a new narrative to create a unique tapestry. Into this material, he deftly weaves a twelve minute sequence of footage of his niece and nephew, Laura and Ben playing in his apartment, on a casual visit which acts as a guide to the contents of this new creation.

Throughout his commentary, Cousins illuminates the sometimes very brief excerpts which appear. There are many such instances but I particularly appreciated in the foreground of a black and white movie the image of a mundane circular metallic bell attached to the handle bars of a bicycle which I had not noticed when the image first appeared. It then comes to dominate the frame and it becomes alien when a small boy, little more than a toddler, rings it but it makes no sound… a brief memorable sequence. There are many more which Cousins helps to pinpoint with his intelligent commentary. His veneration of earlier film makers shines through his choice of excerpts and his insightful commentary.

It is a joy to watch. The images probably move too rapidly unless you have a knowledge as deep as Cousins of the underlying movies. However I suspect that will become one of the film’s strengths as many viewers will wish to see it more than once so that they can read, mark, learn and inwardly digest all that Cousins has laid out before them to assess and appreciate.

All screenings are listed on the Dogwoof website here.