Giri Chit and Mother of the World

I really enjoyed viewing Simon Tarr’s two most recent films, Giri Chit and Mother of the World. I was really surprised by how much structure there was with what appeared to be many random shots, for example, the repetition of horses or the names of the chapter titles. Though the works did not necessarily have plot progression, it allowed the viewers to make up their own multiple stories.

I appreciate that the films are composed of shots from everyday life. As a student of anthropology, I find human life beautiful, but it’s interesting to see if from a different person’s point of view. In the words of Dziga Vertov, “I am kino-eye,” which means the director guides the camera to present his point of view to the world. Sometimes, elements are exaggerated, and other times, it’s just where you place your camera. For example, the use of the mirrors in Giri Chit or the tourists pretending to hold the pyramids in Mother of the World.

There were two scenes in particular I thought were very powerful. They were the second chapters in both films, where the camera was placed much closer to the subjects, sometimes interacting with them. In Giri Chit, the camera moves in and out of a crowd of people dressed in costumes. The costumes and make-up exaggerate some features; nevertheless, the camera reminds us they are people like you and me. In Mother of the World, Simon interacts with some kids far from the center of town. It shows an entirely different face of Egypt; those of the less privileged. I believe this is highlighted when one of the children asks to drink from Simon’s water bottle. In these two scenes, true human nature in its own element is shown; a feature that is lost with the tourist in the third chapter of Mother of the World.

As far as questions go, I cannot say I have any. If anything, I take these films as examples of experimental films that I actually like and something to learn from.