Masterclass Nikolaus Geyrhalter

The work of Nikolaus Geyrhalter, one of the most influential Austrian documentary filmmakers on the contemporary scene, has redefined the way we observe the world. With films such as, among others, Our Daily Bread, Homo Sapiens and Matter Out of
Place, Geyrhalter constructs images of powerful visual rigor, capable of narrating the complexity of the present often without the need for words. His visual gesture is an act of resistance to contemporary image bulimia.
His wide, posed shots, use of depth of field and almost archaeological attention to human gestures (and their absences) open up a unique space for contemplation. This masterclass offers a rare opportunity to get to the heart of his method: research, preparation of footage, use of time, relationship to environments, and in particular the political responsibility of the gaze, a central reflection for today’s hyper-visual world.
Geyrhalter is one of the most radical yet consistent voices in world documentary filmmaking:talking with him, reviewing his cinema, is an invitation to reflect together on how cinema can still interrogate reality, transform it, and-perhaps-give us new tools to imagine a different one.