The Human Surge (2016)

Original title

El auge del humano

Directed by

Eduardo Williams

Genre

documentary film, drama film

Country

Argentina

Runtime

1h 40m

Rated

NR

Rating

5.5 of 10 from 13 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

The film follows poor and restless characters in Argentina, Mozambique, and the Philippines. They drift between places like work and home, seeking connection through digital communication.

aimlessrestlessbittersweetslow-pacedobservationaldigitalglobe-trottinglonelyhypnotic

What happens

The Human Surge (Spanish: El auge del humano) is a 2016 experimental film directed, written, shot and edited by the Argentine director Eduardo Williams. It was Williams' debut feature film, after having made a number of short features. The Human Surge is divided into three separate narrative and geographical segments: the first in Buenos Aires, the second in Maputo, and the third in Bohol. Each segment follows a handful of characters, who are often seen loitering or drifting between spaces, such as workplace and home. The segments are linked with diegetic bridges involving digital communication. Williams has stated that he wanted to explore the sensation and feelings related to aimlessness and travel, and thereby "create a rhythm between excitement and boredom or surprise and depression." The characters depicted in the three segments are invariably poor, restless and on the search for connection with other human beings. The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 2016, where it won the Golden Leopard - Filmmakers of the Present. It was subsequently released at film festivals in Toronto and New York to critical acclaim. Critical comparisons were made with other filmmakers working in the slow cinema subgenre, which emphasises the durational aspect of the moving image, rather than its narrative qualities. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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