Instant Dreams

Really liked this movie a lot. As a photography student myself it was really inspiring to see such a philosophical (dare I say spiritual) take on photography. Made me think and revalue the essence of my (analog) work. Capturing the moment and thinking about time a lot. This movie is quite a trip with strong cinematography and visuals, which I found refreshing. I'ts not a typical documentary by a long shot and I mean that in the best way.

More a tone-poem than a traditional documentary. What lies beneath the surface of this documentary about the polaroid experience, is a story about how analog still resonates in the current age. We are all looking for tangible authentic experiences and Dr. Land once invented the perfect medium for that.

I managed to catch a screening at the documentary festival in Amsterdam. I was intrigued by the trailer, which I found heavy-handed but wildly intriguing. I was interested in learning more about Polaroid. I did, but got more then expected. Tbh I was blown away by it. What was brought to the screen was beyond anything I was expecting. Space Odyssey in a Herzog - Malick kind of way, if that makes any sense. A visually striking retro ride for sure. There is no plot outline written yet. It's hard to describe, without spoiling anything I would say the movie leans towards being a visual poem. The characters have surreal connections to Polaroid film. The story is layered with fascinating quotes, a reoccurring theme of Christmas, a search for a chemical formula, an artist in a pink bathrobe and her funny chickens. I found it hard to wrap my head around all the details. There's one part of the movie involving the inventor of Polaroid, which totally blew my mind. I enjoyed it immensely and made me want to dig up that old Polaroid camera.

Slow, ponderous, rambling. A documentary that does no service to its core subject other than to blur an confuse the story of a ground-breaking invention. An ego-massaging exercise for its makers that gets more annoying the longer it drags on.

Wasn't sure what to expect from this one. It's light on information but loaded with thought-provoking dialog and imagery. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. If Terence Malick would have made a film about Polaroid, I'm sure it would look a bit like this one. The pacing takes getting used to, the story and characters are fascinating as they slowly pull you in to their analog world. A real stand out was a Japanese girl that pops up now and again reminding us of our idiosyncratic digital world. A bit heavy on the esoteric side but certainly a remarkable and mesmerizing experience.