Watersmith

One good thing about attending film school, is that I had the opportunity of watching an original film copy, and hope there are good DVD transfers out there since this film is all about the visuals. Except for the existence of a beginning, Hindle throws away any narrative conventions and celebrates the sheer visual qualities of human body in water. Being such a focused work, it's refreshing to be reminded of how much photographic beauty can be "extracted" from one mundane location, and what the phrase "film is a visual medium" is all about. Hindle also employs a host of optical effects that are even more striking nowadays in light of all the dazzling digital effects - the analog, "low-tech" technique holds unique beauty that CG has to work so hard to imitate.

I tend to stay away from experimental films, but this is one I'd like to watch again. What makes it less than perfect for me is the eventual downside of its lack of form - it feels too long and becomes excessively repetitious at times.