Tempo di viaggio

Anyone looking for some real behind-the-scenes footage of Andrei Tarkovsky, the great Russian filmmaker, on the set of his Italian film Nostalghia will be disappointed. This is a fact. It's only a movie about the making of Nostalghia inasmuch as he and co-writer Tonino Guerra go over some ideas and visit a couple of possible locations (whether or not they were used I can't totally recall- only the hot springs with the steam rising off the water, one of the most memorable images from the film, is seen prominently at one point). And 'some' ideas are in regards to the main character and who he is, his journey, what he's doing in his search within himself, etc. At best Voyage in Time does serve for the fan of Tarkovsky and particularly fans of the film some piece of his writing process, and in this case suiting the loose structure and nearly episodic nature of the project.

There are even some interesting 'questions' delivered by Guerra- when he's not reading some so-so poems he's written, one specifically for Tarkovsky about a house and a coat- that are apparently sent by fans. They're all pretty interesting answers Tarkovsky gives, in his peculiar but straightforward manner of speaking frankly in his love of directors like Bresson and Bergman and how he hates being square-pegged into genre (this is where he references Solaris "not being very good"). What makes Voyage in Time seem longer than its one-hour running length are the very, very long takes and shots of fields, scenic landscapes, buildings, etc, and it takes patience even for the die-hard Tarkovsky fan used to his meditative approach in poetic language of cinema. Most others who happen to stumble onto the recently released DVD (not in the greatest print either) will be bored to death.

So, all in all, it's a mixed bag, even probably for some fans, and it's a generous, absorbing curiosity at best.

When people write about Andrei Tarkovsky, they always mention that he directed seven feature films. In truth, he directed 8 feature films. This one, Tempo di Viaggio (aka Voyage in Time), was made in 1983 during pre-production for Andrei's film Nostalghia, which also came out in 1983. It was made for RAI TV, aka Italian state television. RAI TV co-financed Nostalghia. The film has been notoriously hard to find for decades. A DVD in 2000 from Facets Multimedia in Chicago was released, but it was awful. The transfer was awful with scenes that were pixelated throughout. The subtitles were badly translated as well. In 2024, the good folks at Kino Lorber released a bluray of a restored Nostalghia along with a restored version of this movie. It's the best I've ever seen it. As for the film itself, it's generally slow like all of Tarkovsky's work, but there are some stunning shots throughout and you get to see the great man talk about filmmaking along with his philosophical concerns. Casual viewers probably won't like this film that much, but Tarkovsky fans will.

A travelogue of sorts that doubles as a brief but welcome insight into the filmmaking philosophy of famous Russian auteur Andrei Tarkovsky, Voyage in Time documents his travels in Italy in preparation for the making of his film Nostalghia, and is more a companion piece that finds him scouting locations with writer Tonino Guerra than an exploration of his cinematic style & influences.

Written & directed by both Guerra & Tarkovsky, this 63 mins documentary presents the two artists discussing art, culture, history & philosophy in addition to their views on the nature of cinema. But despite its short runtime, it somehow manages to be a slog with its vast stretches of nothingness. It's only captivating in bits n pieces, and those interesting parts together would've sufficed as a featurette.

The best segments are the ones where Tarkovsky gets to answer the questions that were posed by his admirers. But there's like only three questions in total; one asking about the filmmakers he admires, second asking about his advice to young directors and final one being his stance on genres & commercial cinema. He is very articulate & honest in his replies and that's why it makes one wish there were more questions.

Overall, Voyage in Time (also called Tempo di viaggio) neither has the behind-the-scenes footage of Andrei Tarkovsky nor a candid conversation with the director to dissect his body of work in depth. The camera hovers over images for far too long while the duo are engaged in discussions, and is dull, tedious & uninspiring for the most part if not all. In short, this quasi-documentary is best reserved for Tarkovsky completists.

I have been looking EVERYWHERE for this documentary! it must be the most coveted biographical doc ever, i live in new york and anyone who knows what its like to live there knows that finding even the oldest, most obscure works is always possible, however, i could never get my hands on it. i have seen all of his films, read his book and his interviews, consider him a god of sorts, have never had a chance to see how he was in person, his mannerisms, his voice, his expressions, his tone.. I finally found this in some small Virginia town and picked it up immediately and watched it. So fulfilling! It was made while he was in Italy scouting locations for 'Nostalghia' with screenwriter Toni Guerro. He speaks candidly and vulnerably about his past films, art, and fields questions from young filmmakers. Important document (and a beautiful film too!) and testament to one of the greatest geniuses that ever lived. Try and find it.