Self-Portrait is a 2022 Canadian documentary film made from unlocked surveillance footage collected from around the world. Directed and edited by Joële Walinga, the film is a curated collection of 166 shots taken from surveillance cameras, and follows the seasons of one single year. The film was made with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and shown with the support of Telefilm Canada. All sound in the picture was created from scratch using foley and freesound downloads, and was designed by Walinga and Portuguese sound designer, Ines Adriana.[1]
| Self-Portrait | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Poster | |
| Directed by | Joële Walinga |
| Edited by | Joële Walinga |
| Distributed by | Mubi |
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Self-Portrait had its world premiere at the 2022 South by Southwest film festival,[2] won the Special Jury Prize for National Features at the Montreal International Documentary Film Festival in 2022,[3] and was released on Mubi in the US and Canada on March 20, 2023.[4]
Synopsis
editDirected by artist and filmmaker Joële Walinga, with sound design by Ines Adriana, Self-Portrait is a tapestry of footage collected from surveillance cameras around the world over the past four years, woven together as a poem. The film travels from moment to moment — from the frozen storminess of winter, to the melt of spring, the lush heat of summer, and, finally, to the decay and cooling of autumn: the dawn of winter. Self-Portrait takes a candid peek at humanity as it has chosen to document itself — all of these cameras set up primarily for capitalistic, “property”-protecting purposes, but yielding a beauty and a truth — an incidental portrait.[5]
Reception
editThe film was described as "pure cinema" by the head of film at South by Southwest Janet Pierson in Realscreen[6] ahead of its world premiere. The film screened to mixed reviews, with some critics finding it aimless and boring, and others describing it as "mesmerizing,"[7] "a remarkable achievement."[8][9] The film was included as a New York Times pick of international films to stream in spring 2024.[10]
Film festivals
editSelf-Portrait had its World Premiere in March 2022 at the South by Southwest Film Festival in the Visions section.[11] The film screened at festivals and programs including Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival,[12] Prismatic Ground,[13] the Montreal International Documentary Festival, and MDFF Selects[14] among others.
References
edit- ^ Tizard, Will (2022-11-02). "Documentary Filmmaker Joele Walinga Finds Accidental Beauty in Security Camera Footage". Variety. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ Grater, Tom (2022-03-07). "'Self-Portrait': Debut Trailer For SXSW Premiere Comprised Of Surveillance Footage". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ Mullen, Pat (2022-11-27). "The Dependents, One Take Grace Lead RIDM Award Winners". POV Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ Pearce, Leonard (2023-02-21). "MUBI Unveils March 2023 Lineup". Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Self-Portrait with Joële Walinga". TIFF. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- ^ "SXSW '22: Janet Pierson, Jim Kolmar talk documentary lineup". Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ Girish, Devika (2024-05-03). "Five International Movies to Stream Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ Gorman, Daniel (2022-03-16). "Self-Portrait — Joële Walinga". In Review Online. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ Ho, Rachel (2022-04-06). "Self-Portrait Review: Four Seasons of Surveillance". POV Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ Girish, Devika (2024-05-03). "Five International Movies to Stream Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "SXSW 2022 to premiere new work from Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Richard Linklater, Nicolas Cage".
- ^ Barraclough, Leo (2022-10-14). "Andrea Kleine's 'The End,' 'Cisco Kid,' 'Bloom' Among World Premieres in Ji.hlava's Competition". Variety. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ Sicinski, Michael (2023-05-08). "Dig for Fire: Prismatic Ground 2023". Film Comment. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Self-Portrait with Joële Walinga". TIFF. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- "Award winners of the 25th Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM)". RIDM. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
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