In retrospect, if you had told me I was to watch another movie filled mainly with landscapes I may have evaded it entirely. Let’s just say that another film in this festival thoroughly took care of my need for landscapes for quite a while. But ¡Vivan las Antipodas! brought to life a documentary style I personally had yet to see. Award winning director, Victor Kossakovsky, takes a beautiful idea and creates a picturesque film with grace and technique.
Chili and Russia, Argentina and China, Botswana and Hawaii, Spain and New Zealand, are diametrically opposite to one another on the planet. The climate, the people, and the fascinating movement of life are depicted in this film in a gentle and tranquil way. If I were to name the characters they would not be the names of people but rather the up close shots of life; the lava burning as it flows, the life of a bridge, and a whale brought to death.
Having a movie flow is rather difficult. Having it move with the passion of life is almost impossible, yet here Kossakovsky has done both. Oh how you’ll enjoy this ride across the world! The camera uses not only smooth and gentle shots but also gravity to expand your visual senses. This powerful film brings together the earth in a documentary to be remembered. The souls of these people, the places they live, and the viewer are all connected and shall continue to be thru an energy undefined but tangible thru this film none the less.
“Since most of the planet is covered by oceans, antipodes with dry land on either side are extremely rare. This film was shot at four of the few inhabited pairs”
.jpg)
