If one had to list films whose style stands in stark contrast to modern life, one would have to name “A Matter Out Of Place” by Viennese Nikolaus Geyrhalter.
The documentary work manages (almost) without words. Waiting for the next cut feels like watching gooey honey until it finally drips off the spoon.
Garbage everywhere
The lack of restlessness and talkativeness, however, opens up an extraordinarily witty view of what Geyrhalter wants to show: garbage. Not as an object in itself, but as a symbol of a man-made contamination. For this purpose, Geyrhalter embarked on an intercontinental journey. So you see garbage on mountains, hills, in deserts, oceans, at every nook and cranny.
The camera scans a patch of earth that, from a distance, usually looks like a beautiful piece of land, before realizing that parts of it are rubbish. One can certainly be annoyed about any lengths and similar motifs in this meticulously assembled, visually stunning work. But before you do that, maybe you should think about how to break the habit of using the earth like ruthless ignoramuses, like renters destroying a home they never owned anyway. (nb)
“A Matter Out of Place”: A 2022, 106 mins
OÖN rating: five out of six stars
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I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
