Documentaries, old and new, with stills and notes for students, makers, and observers of documentary film and video. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Friday, July 31, 2009
Errol Morris
Gates of Heaven, by Errol Morris (1978), documents the pet cemetery business in California. The love that pet owners feel for their pets is expressed in interviews and landscapes. The film's palette is bright and sunshiny, with just the right hint of ironic appreciation for eccentricity. One interviewee's framing reminded me of a Diane Arbus photograph, "Lady bartender at home with a souvenir dog, New Orleans, 1964." (Copyright Estate of Diane Arbus)
Title:
Gates of Heaven