Give Experimental Films a Chance

To be honest, even as a film student, when I heard of experimental or art films, I kinda dismissed them as pretentious, boring, or just created for shock value (looking at you, Un Chien Andalou). Well, some are, but I ended up easing myself into experimental or art films, with introductions to a few more experimental films in class, and then watching some New Wave and non-narrative cinema. Maybe not less pretentious, but very enjoyable, and many video essays on these later, I was very keen to keep watching.

So, I took a class in experimental film, not too sure what to expect, but definitely interested to learn more. Mostly, I wondered why? Why make films that are so short, with no story or proper actors? But I began to see them more as translations of paintings and poems onto the screen, which is different from your typical Hollywood film, but no less valuable. Some I am still not a fan of, and I don’t feel the need to watch a man eat a mushroom on loop, or a slow zoom out of a window for even longer. No disrespect to those who like slow cinema (or Andy Warhol), but it was not my cup of tea.

What really changed my mind first was learning how many films, new and old, had used experimental techniques; German expressionism, short films, documentaries, New Wave. More familiarly, The Lighthouse, Memento, Trainspotting, Fear and Loathing and Pulp Fiction all heavily incorporate experimental techniques. This list could go on forever really, and something that unites many beloved films is the incorporation of techniques pioneered by Avant-Garde artists. It became fascinating to see where these movements came from. I won't get into the history of film here, because my main point is that it is definitely worth giving some experimental films a watch. Tell yourself what I did: what do I have to lose by watching a five-minute film, other than five minutes where I would be on my phone anyway?

I found some amazing films, new and old. Some of my favorites were by Maya Deren: Meshes of the Afternoon and At Land. Both are well worth a watch, even though they are slightly longer at about 40 minutes, but they are free on YouTube, which is always a plus. I'd rather watch these than waste two hours on a narrative film which bores me. Full of optical illusion, dance-like movements and mystery, I was pretty transfixed on my laptop while they were on. These are trance films, and relaxing and immersive to watch. Another great one was Destino, a short film I found on YouTube which was a collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, and as beautiful and weird as it sounds.

There are also many modern experimental films to be found. I watched a few at Berwick Film Festival, which were brilliant. Feel free to enjoy some Hollywood blockbusters with strange pacing and non-linear narratives to begin, but there are fantastic short films you can enjoy on YouTube as well, and a nice array on Netflix etc as well. Really, there's an option for almost everyone. Like animals? Gunda. Like poetry? Lady Lazarus. Like painting? Politics? Sci-fi? Travel? Animation? Dancing? There is an experimental film for that.

Most people, when I mention experimental film, say they haven’t watched any or don’t like it. Which is understandable. I really felt I wasn’t quite the right person to enjoy it, and had no clue where to start. But, with a simple Google, YouTube or Netflix search, you can find thousands of experimental films, and if you go into them not expecting the same experience you usually get from going to the cinema or opening up prime, you will likely enjoy them more than you think. From 1920s to the 2020s, and from surrealist to documentary, there are films out there that are well worth watching, and once you do, you can see the impact and inspirations these films have had and taken from art, music, painting, politics and mainstream cinema. If you don’t really want to think that hard about it (which I once thought you really had to do to ‘get’ any of it), there are many lovely films which are just there to be beautiful, relaxing or visually interesting. What I am getting as, is you don’t need to be a film scholar or a super artsy hipster to find enjoyment in experimental films, and they are valuable to watch for everyone.