I was leafing through a copy of American GQ and I spotted a short article on a video that’s become an online phenomenon. A French art film of someone driving through Paris at breakneck speed. Made with no post production or additional sound effects this is one of the greatest driving films I’ve ever seen.
There’s lots of debates about the top speed of the car (experts say max 140km/h, the director reckons 200km/h), and the make of the car (a Mercedes or the director’s Ferrari). Wikipedia has lots on the topic.
Regardless, it’s a stunning 10 minutes of footage.
It is fantastic. I saw it for the first time at the Electric Cinema about two years ago, and have been telling people for ages about it. Then a friend bought a copy off ebay about 3 months ago and I got to see it again.
There’s something really magical about it, and I think a lot of it is to do with mystery surrounding it. I can verify though it was a Ferrari, the DVD has a mini-documentary appended to it.
Still the best way to see it though is on the big screen!
That’s great to see. I shared a house with someone at college who had a 16mm version of it. I used to love watching it projected on our living room wall.
This is a love poem:
Sweet spring leak out, hangs shade all Yuan coverlet. ROM with heavy,
double phoenix, of gold.
Outside the window, on coming. Heartbroken, one is negative.
Night where people forever, and cast away to sound. Incense, eyebrow
yan, will sink convergence.
Do not stand against the coverlet, hatred solitary. In my heart, as you
know, beginning in yi deep.