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OTHERS/OURSELVES: THE CINEMA OF ROBERT GARDNERPost an Event »

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

September 30 - September 30, 2010

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701 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103
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Forest of Bliss Forest of Bliss is an unsparing yet redemptive account of the inevitable griefs, religious passions and frequent joys that punctuate daily life in Varanasi (Benares), India's most holy city. The film unfolds from one sunrise to the next without commentary, subtitles or dialogue. It is an attempt to give the viewer a wholly authentic (though greatly magnified and concentrated) sense of participation in the experiences examined by the film. (1986, 90 min, 35mm) Robert Gardner's vision—situated in a sometimes uneasy place between ethnographic and artistic traditions—has made him one of the most original, as well as controversial, filmmakers of the last half century. Deeply admired by many filmmakers, Gardner has been equally challenged by anthropologists, who have criticized some of his work for lack of both socially scientific documentation and context. Gardner refuses to hold the viewers hand, trusting his audience to find their own way into his films and make their own conclusions. In the 21st century, what endures is the distinctly lyrical style and arresting cinematography Gardner brought to his enigmatic portrayals of disappearing cultures. These are powerful poetic reflections on human experience which warrant new and renewed consideration.