Slow cinema, a global trend in art and experimental film since the 1990s, is characterized by long takes, undramatic narratives, realist aesthetics, and visual stillness. This contemplative style challenges the accelerated pacing of mainstream cinema, encouraging a more meditative form of spectatorship. Slow movies invite viewers to immerse themselves in the unfolding of time and the subtlety of visual storytelling, offering a unique experience that stands in stark contrast to the fast-paced, action-driven films that dominate the mainstream.

The term “slow cinema” encompasses a wide range of films, from minimalist narratives to non-narrative works, united by their emphasis on duration and observation. These films often feature static shots, long sequence shots, and a slow or undramatic form of narration, focusing on the everyday and the existential. By employing these techniques, slow cinema filmmakers aim to create a space for contemplation and reflection, allowing viewers to engage with the film’s themes and aesthetics on a deeper level.

We will explore the evolution of slow cinema over the past three decades, tracing its roots in post-war modern cinema and examining its contemporary manifestations in global art and experimental film. By delving into the aesthetic elements, cultural significance, and theoretical underpinnings of slow cinema, this article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of this unique cinematic movement and its place within the broader landscape of film history.

Historical Context

Slow cinema’s origins can be traced back to the post-war period, particularly to the works of modernist filmmakers such as Michelangelo Antonioni, Chantal Akerman, and Andrei Tarkovsky. These directors challenged classical narrative conventions by employing long takes, minimalist plots, and a focus on the everyday, laying the groundwork for the development of slow cinema in the decades to come.

Antonioni’s films, such as L’Avventura (1960) and Red Desert (1964), are known for their slow pacing, sparse dialogue, and emphasis on the characters’ internal states. His work often explores themes of alienation and existential angst, using the landscape and architecture to reflect the protagonists’ psychological conditions. Similarly, Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels (1975) is a landmark film in the history of slow cinema, depicting three days in the life of a housewife through long, static shots and minimal action.

The influence of 1960s and 1970s structural film, particularly the works of Andy Warhol, is also evident in the development of slow cinema. Warhol’s films, such as Sleep (1963) and Empire (1964), are known for their extreme duration and minimalist content, challenging traditional notions of cinematic time and narrative. These films laid the groundwork for the emergence of slow cinema in the 1990s, with directors like Béla Tarr and Tsai Ming-liang creating works that pushed the boundaries of cinematic temporality and observation.

Key Filmmakers and Films

Contemporary slow cinema is characterized by a diverse group of filmmakers from around the world, each contributing their unique perspectives and styles to the movement. One of the most prominent figures in slow cinema is Argentine director Lisandro Alonso, whose films La libertad (2001), Los muertos (2004), and Liverpool (2008) are known for their minimalist narratives, long takes, and emphasis on the everyday lives of marginalized individuals.

Portuguese filmmaker Pedro Costa is another key figure in slow cinema, with his films In Vanda’s Room (2000) and Colossal Youth (2006) documenting the lives of Lisbon’s marginalized communities through a blend of fiction and documentary techniques. Costa’s work is characterized by its use of static shots, sparse dialogue, and a deep engagement with the social and political realities of his subjects.

Filipino director Lav Diaz is known for his epic-length films, such as Evolution of a Filipino Family (1994-2004) and Death in the Land of Encantos (2007), which often run for several hours and explore themes of history, memory, and identity. Diaz’s work is characterized by its use of long takes, black-and-white cinematography, and a blend of fiction and documentary elements.

Other notable slow cinema filmmakers include Tsai Ming-liang, whose films like Vive l’amour (1994) and Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) are known for their static compositions, minimal dialogue, and exploration of urban alienation; Jia Zhang-ke, whose Platform (2000) and Still Life (2006) examine the rapid changes in Chinese society through a slow, observational style; and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, whose films like Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) blend reality and fantasy in a contemplative, dreamlike manner.

Experimental filmmakers such as James Benning, Peter Hutton, and Sharon Lockhart have also contributed significantly to the development of slow cinema, creating non-narrative works that focus on landscape, duration, and the passage of time. Benning’s films, like Ten Skies (2004) and 13 Lakes (2004), are composed of long, static shots of natural landscapes, while Hutton’s works, such as At Sea (2007), explore the relationship between humans and the environment through extended observations of ships and industrial processes. Lockhart’s films, like Double Tide (2009), focus on the repetition of everyday activities, using long takes and minimal editing to create a sense of immediacy and presence.

Theoretical Frameworks

Slow cinema’s emphasis on realism and duration can be understood through the lens of several key theoretical frameworks, particularly the ideas of André Bazin and Gilles Deleuze. Bazin’s concept of the “ontology of the photographic image” and his preference for the long take and deep focus cinematography are central to understanding slow cinema’s commitment to capturing the real.

Bazin argued that the long take preserves the spatial and temporal continuity of reality, allowing viewers to engage more actively with the image and draw their own conclusions about the events depicted on screen. This idea is central to slow cinema’s rejection of classical editing techniques in favor of a more contemplative, observational approach to filmmaking.

Deleuze’s concept of the “time-image” is another key theoretical framework for understanding slow cinema. According to Deleuze, the time-image emerges in post-war cinema as a result of the breakdown of the “action-image” that characterized classical Hollywood cinema. In the time-image, time is no longer subordinated to movement and action, but becomes the central concern of the film.

This emphasis on duration and the passage of time is evident in slow cinema’s use of long takes, static compositions, and minimal narrative. Deleuze also discusses the concept of the “still life” in relation to the films of Ozu, arguing that these moments of stillness and contemplation allow for a direct experience of time and a deeper engagement with the image.

The undramatic narratives and focus on everyday life in slow cinema can also be understood through the lens of “neo-neorealism,” a term coined by Andrei Gorz to describe a new form of realism that emerged in the wake of Italian neorealism. Neo-neorealism is characterized by a focus on the banal and the quotidian, a rejection of dramatic plot structures, and a commitment to capturing the reality of everyday life.

Slow Cinema and Neoliberal Culture

Slow cinema’s emphasis on duration and contemplation can be seen as a response to the accelerated pace of life under neoliberalism and the increasing speed and spectacle of mainstream cinema. In an era characterized by globalization, technological acceleration, and the commodification of time, slow cinema offers a space for reflection and resistance.

By encouraging viewers to engage with the image on a deeper level and to experience time in a more direct and unmediated way, slow cinema challenges the dominant temporal logic of neoliberalism, which prioritizes efficiency, productivity, and instant gratification. Slow cinema’s rejection of classical narrative structures and its emphasis on the everyday can also be seen as a critique of the commodification of experience and the alienation of individuals under capitalism.

Moreover, slow cinema’s focus on marginalized communities and peripheral spaces can be understood as a political gesture, one that gives voice and visibility to those who are often excluded from mainstream representations. By documenting the lives of the poor, the unemployed, and the dispossessed, filmmakers like Pedro Costa and Lav Diaz offer a counter-narrative to the dominant discourses of neoliberalism, which often ignore or dismiss the experiences of those on the margins of society.

Digital Technologies and New Durational Extremes

The rise of digital technologies has had a significant impact on the development of slow cinema, enabling filmmakers to push the boundaries of duration and observation even further. Digital cameras, with their increased storage capacity and low-light sensitivity, have allowed directors to capture longer takes and more intimate moments without the constraints of traditional film stock.

This has led to a new wave of durational extremes in slow cinema, with films like Lav Diaz’s Evolution of a Filipino Family (1994-2004) and Death in the Land of Encantos (2007) running for several hours and featuring extended sequences of real-time observation. Digital technologies have also enabled filmmakers to work with smaller crews and lower budgets, facilitating a more intimate and immersive approach to filmmaking.

At the same time, the rise of digital platforms and streaming services has created new opportunities for the distribution and exhibition of slow cinema. While these films have traditionally been confined to the festival circuit and arthouse cinemas, digital technologies have made it possible for viewers to access slow cinema from the comfort of their own homes, potentially expanding the audience for these challenging and rewarding works.

However, the transition to digital has also raised questions about the ontological status of the image and the changing nature of cinematic realism. Some theorists have argued that the digital image, with its potential for manipulation and alteration, undermines the indexical relationship between the image and reality that was central to Bazin’s understanding of cinematic realism.

Others, however, have suggested that the digital turn has simply expanded the possibilities for cinematic representation, allowing filmmakers to engage with reality in new and innovative ways. Slow cinema, with its commitment to duration and observation, remains a vital site for exploring these questions and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the medium.

Conclusion

Slow cinema remains a vital and evolving global film movement, one that challenges the dominant temporal and narrative logic of mainstream cinema while engaging with the complexities of contemporary life. By emphasizing duration, observation, and the everyday, slow cinema offers a unique and rewarding viewing experience, one that encourages contemplation, reflection, and a deeper engagement with the world around us.

As the digital age continues to transform cinema, slow cinema remains a crucial site for exploring the possibilities and limitations of the medium. With its roots in the modernist experiments of the post-war era and its commitment to capturing the reality of lived experience, slow cinema offers a powerful alternative to the spectacle and accelerated pace of mainstream filmmaking.

Whether through the epic-length films of Lav Diaz, the intimate portraits of Pedro Costa, or the experimental landscapes of James Benning, slow cinema continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with the moving image. As the world becomes increasingly fast-paced and fragmented, the contemplative and immersive qualities of slow cinema offer a much-needed space for reflection and resistance.

By embracing the aesthetics of slowness and the politics of the everyday, slow cinema invites viewers to step outside the dominant temporal logic of neoliberalism and to experience the world in a more direct and unmediated way. In doing so, it offers a powerful reminder of the transformative potential of cinema and the enduring importance of art in an age of acceleration and distraction.

Best Slow Cinema Films

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Director: Stanley Kubrick
2. Stalker (1979) Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
3. Satantango (1994) Director: Béla Tarr
4. Andrei Rublev (1966) Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
5. Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (2002) Director: Wang Bing
6. Mirror (1975) Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
7. Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) Director: Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky
8. Solaris (1972) Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
9. Eraserhead (1977) Director: David Lynch
10. Eureka (2000) Director: Shinji Aoyama
11. An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) Director: Bo Hu
12. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) Director: Chantal Akerman
13. The Sacrifice (1986) Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
14. La Notte (1961) Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
15. The Turin Horse (2011) Director: Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky
16. Nostalghia (1983) Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
17. L’Eclisse (1962) Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
18. Angel’s Egg (1985) Director: Mamoru Oshii
19. The Travelling Players (1975) Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos
20. Tropical Malady (2004) Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
21. Syndromes and a Century (2006) Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
22. Red Desert (1964) Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
23. L’Avventura (1960) Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
24. Vive L’Amour (1994) Director: Tsai Ming-liang
25. Kings of the Road (1976) Director: Wim Wenders
26. From What Is Before (2014) Director: Lav Diaz
27. What Time Is It There? (2001) Director: Tsai Ming-liang
28. The Passenger (1975) Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
29. Colossal Youth (2006) Director: Pedro Costa
30. Ana (1982) Director: Margarida Cordeiro, António Reis
31. Mother and Son (1997) Director: Aleksandr Sokurov
32. Maborosi (1995) Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
33. Landscape in the Mist (1988) Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos
34. In Vanda’s Room (2000) Director: Pedro Costa
35. News from Home (1976) Director: Chantal Akerman
36. The Meetings of Anna (1978) Director: Chantal Akerman
37. Vitalina Varela (2019) Director: Pedro Costa
38. Roma (2018) Director: Alfonso Cuarón
39. Taipei Story (1985) Director: Edward Yang
40. Beau Travail (1999) Director: Claire Denis
41. The Hole (1998) Director: Tsai Ming-liang
42. Platform (2000) Director: Zhangke Jia
43. Limit (1931) Director: Mario Peixoto
44. Horse Money (2014) Director: Pedro Costa
45. The Seventh Continent (1989) Director: Michael Haneke
46. Rosetta (1999) Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
47. Dreams (1990) Director: Akira Kurosawa, Ishirô Honda
48. Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) Director: Tsai Ming-liang
49. Trás-os-Montes (1976) Director: Margarida Cordeiro, António Reis
50. Damnation (1988) Director: Béla Tarr
51. Evolution of a Filipino Family (2004) Director: Lav Diaz
52. From the East (1993) Director: Chantal Akerman
53. Too Early/Too Late (1981) Director: Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub
54. The Wind Will Carry Us (1999) Director: Abbas Kiarostami
55. Florentina Hubaldo, CTE (2012) Director: Lav Diaz
56. Blissfully Yours (2002) Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
57. Al primo soffio di vento (2002) Director: Franco Piavoli
58. Songs from the Second Floor (2000) Director: Roy Andersson
59. Visitor of a Museum (1989) Director: Konstantin Lopushanskiy
60. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) Director: Monte Hellman
61. Voyage to Cythera (1984) Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos
62. Kaili Blues (2015) Director: Bi Gan
63. Twilight (1990) Director: György Fehér
64. Kagadanan sa banwaan ning mga engkanto (2007) Director: Lav Diaz
65. Vai~E~Vem (2003) Director: João César Monteiro
66. Cemetery of Splendor (2015) Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
67. The Puppetmaster (1993) Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou
68. Eternity and a Day (1998) Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos
69. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011) Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
70. Landscape Suicide (1986) Director: James Benning
71. The Round-Up (1966) Director: Miklós Jancsó
72. Kenji Miyazawa’s Night on the Galactic Railroad (1985) Director: Gisaburô Sugii
73. Cafe Noir (2009) Director: Sung-il Jung
74. The River (1997) Director: Tsai Ming-liang
75. Still Life (2006) Director: Zhangke Jia
76. Still Life (1974) Director: Sohrab Shahid Saless
77. Alexander the Great (1980) Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos
78. Stray Dogs (2013) Director: Tsai Ming-liang
79. Ulysses’ Gaze (1995) Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos
80. Few of Us (1996) Director: Sharunas Bartas
81. I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone (2006) Director: Tsai Ming-liang
82. Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018) Director: Bi Gan
83. Black God, White Devil (1964) Director: Glauber Rocha
84. The House (1997) Director: Sharunas Bartas
85. India Song (1975) Director: Marguerite Duras
86. Sharasôju (2003) Director: Naomi Kawase
87. The Wayward Cloud (2005) Director: Tsai Ming-liang
88. Fragile as the World (2001) Director: Rita Azevedo Gomes
89. Agatha and the Limitless Readings (1981) Director: Marguerite Duras
90. Heaven’s Gate (1980) Director: Michael Cimino
91. Days of Eclipse (1988) Director: Aleksandr Sokurov
92. Hunger (2008) Director: Steve McQueen
93. She Spent So Many Hours Under the Sun Lamps (1985) Director: Philippe Garrel
94. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
95. Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life (1995) Director: Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay, Weiser Quay
96. Huangjin zhou (2008) Director: Hongqi Li
97. Melancholia (2008) Director: Lav Diaz
98. Norte, the End of History (2013) Director: Lav Diaz
99. The Woman Who Left (2016) Director: Lav Diaz
100. Russian Ark (2002) Director: Aleksandr Sokurov
101. The Bed You Sleep In (1993) Director: Jon Jost
102. A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (2016) Director: Lav Diaz
103. Mademoiselle (1966) Director: Tony Richardson
104. Leviathan (2012) Director: Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Verena Paravel
105. Heart of Glass (1976) Director: Werner Herzog
106. Le Quattro Volte (2010) Director: Michelangelo Frammartino
107. Distant (2002) Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
108. Silent Light (2007) Director: Carlos Reygadas
109. Enter the Void (2009) Director: Gaspar Noé
110. The Corridor (1995) Director: Sharunas Bartas
111. Millennium Mambo (2001) Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou
112. Under the Skin (2013) Director: Jonathan Glazer
113. Whispering Pages (1994) Director: Aleksandr Sokurov
114. Heremias, Book One: The Legend of the Lizard Princess (2006) Director: Lav Diaz
115. Hard to Be a God (2013) Director: Aleksey German
116. Ossos (1997) Director: Pedro Costa
117. The Death King (1990) Director: Jörg Buttgereit
118. A Whole Night (1982) Director: Chantal Akerman
119. Three Days (1991) Director: Sharunas Bartas
120. Old Joy (2006) Director: Kelly Reichardt
121. Fe (1994) Director: Kanji Nakajima
122. Meek’s Cutoff (2010) Director: Kelly Reichardt
123. Dolgaya schastlivaya zhizn (1966) Director: Gennady Shpalikov
124. I, You, He, She (1974) Director: Chantal Akerman
125. Elephant (2003) Director: Gus Van Sant
126. Homo Sapiens (2016) Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter
127. The Suspended Step of the Stork (1991) Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos
128. Café Lumière (2003) Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou
129. Distance (2001) Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
130. Into Great Silence (2005) Director: Philip Gröning
131. Sleeping Man (1996) Director: Kôhei Oguri
132. The Second Circle (1990) Director: Aleksandr Sokurov
133. The Horse Thief (1986) Director: Zhuangzhuang Tian, Peicheng Pan
134. Out 1: Spectre (1972) Director: Jacques Rivette
135. The Banishment (2007) Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
136. Red Psalm (1972) Director: Miklós Jancsó
137. Praejusios dienos atminimui (1990) Director: Sharunas Bartas
138. The Death of Louis XIV (2016) Director: Albert Serra
139. Dealer (2004) Director: Benedek Fliegauf
140. Western (2017) Director: Valeska Grisebach
141. Humanity (1999) Director: Bruno Dumont
142. Marseille (2004) Director: Angela Schanelec
143. Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno (2017) Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
144. Paraguayan Hammock (2006) Director: Paz Encina
145. A Ghost Story (2017) Director: David Lowery
146. The Man from London (2007) Director: Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky
147. Days (2020) Director: Tsai Ming-liang
148. The Whispering Star (2015) Director: Sion Sono
149. Sleep Has Her House (2017) Director: Scott Barley
150. Tokyo.sora (2002) Director: Hiroshi Ishikawa
151. Die Tomorrow (2017) Director: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
152. Season of the Devil (2018) Director: Lav Diaz
153. Los Muertos (2004) Director: Lisandro Alonso
154. In the City of Sylvia (2007) Director: José Luis Guerín
155. Passion (1998) Director: György Fehér
156. 0.5 mm (2014) Director: Momoko Andô
157. Moloch (1999) Director: Aleksandr Sokurov
158. Il dono (2003) Director: Michelangelo Frammartino
159. Oxhide (2005) Director: Jiayin Liu
160. Oi kynigoi (1977) Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos
161. The Intruder (2004) Director: Claire Denis
162. Rabbits (2002) Director: David Lynch
163. Nainsukh (2010) Director: Amit Dutta
164. The High Solitudes (1974) Director: Philippe Garrel
165. Winter Vacation (2010) Director: Hongqi Li
166. Climates (2006) Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
167. Three Times (2005) Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou
168. Japan (2002) Director: Carlos Reygadas
169. Komitas (1988) Director: Don Askarian
170. The Assassin (2015) Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou
171. Quixotic/Honor de Cavelleria (2006) Director: Albert Serra
172. A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness (2013) Director: Ben Rivers, Ben Russell
173. Frost (1997) Director: Fred Kelemen
174. Le berceau de cristal (1976) Director: Philippe Garrel
175. Honey (2010) Director: Semih Kaplanoglu
176. La libertad (2001) Director: Lisandro Alonso
177. Stations of the Cross (2014) Director: Dietrich Brüggemann
178. Araby (2017) Director: João Dumans, Affonso Uchoa
179. The Portuguese Woman (2018) Director: Rita Azevedo Gomes
180. Manakamana (2013) Director: Stephanie Spray, Pacho Velez
181. Clouds of May (1999) Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
182. Valhalla Rising (2009) Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
183. Bread Day (1998) Director: Sergei Dvortsevoy
184. Living (2012) Director: Vasiliy Sigarev
185. Coast of Death (2013) Director: Lois Patiño
186. Paranoid Park (2007) Director: Gus Van Sant
187. Ta’ang (2016) Director: Wang Bing
188. Egg (2007) Director: Semih Kaplanoglu
189. Fire Will Come (2019) Director: Óliver Laxe
190. Electroma (2006) Director: Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo
191. Post Tenebras Lux (2012) Director: Carlos Reygadas
192. The Mill and the Cross (2011) Director: Lech Majewski
193. Story of My Death (2013) Director: Albert Serra
194. The Ornithologist (2016) Director: João Pedro Rodrigues
195. Father (2010) Director: José María de Orbe
196. Dead Slow Ahead (2015) Director: Mauro Herce
197. Drawing Restraint 9 (2005) Director: Matthew Barney
198. Freedom (2000) Director: Sharunas Bartas
199. Gerry (2002) Director: Gus Van Sant
200. Flight of the Red Balloon (2007) Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou
201. Mirrored Mind (2004) Director: Gakuryû Ishii
202. Mrs. Fang (2017) Director: Wang Bing
203. Two Years at Sea (2011) Director: Ben Rivers
204. Manta Ray (2018) Director: Phuttiphong Aroonpheng
205. Last and First Men (2020) Director: Jóhann Jóhannsson
206. Sebastiane (1976) Director: Paul Humfress, Derek Jarman
207. Liverpool (2008) Director: Lisandro Alonso
208. The Limits of Control (2009) Director: Jim Jarmusch
209. I Like (2005) Director: Hiroshi Ishikawa
210. Rehearsals for Retirement (2007) Director: Philip S. Solomon
211. Journey to the West (2014) Director: Tsai Ming-liang