Directed by Ana Vaz, shot entirely from day to night, this eco-terror about wildlife follows the trajectories of endangered species fleeing to escape extinction, in a grim plot in which animals watch us.
It Is Night in America are anonymous figures, their faces barely (if at all) visible, limbs protruding or silhouetted pressed against concrete. Night, Vaz's first feature, is a hazy foray into the hidden animal world in and around Brasília, where humans take a back seat and the megacity stands tall like a skyscraper-infested jungle. The film's protagonists are a pantheon of exiles: monkeys running through the streets, cobras hiding in private gardens, capybaras lounging on lawns, giant otters roaming the waterways.
Director: Ana Vaz
"Are animals invading our cities," a voice wonders halfway, "or are we occupying their habitat?" It's a question that might as well work as a catchphrase, but Night has a way of stretching and expanding her focus, and her close-up portraits of the capital's wildlife become something else entirely. Gradually, the film becomes the story of an invasion: a study in Brazil's rampant urbanization and the creatures it left homeless. It becomes a story of two cities, of two kingdoms fighting in a zero-sum game. It becomes a western.
When It is Night in America opens, it feels like we're about to be treated to a horror movie like The Shining, with an intensely dramatic score and sinister, sinuous imagery. It's an interesting introduction that sets the perfect tone for what follows. From then on, every image has an ominous edge, it's fascinating that shooting from day to night has such a strong impact. Ana Vaz takes scenes that can be innocuous or naive and adds mystery, sadness and desolation to them. She highlights underlying themes in what might just be everyday footage.
The way that Ella Vaz frames and combines the images raises a big question as to whether the animals' territory is being invaded by humans or if they are now trying to invade it themselves. She is about her captivity and almost a desire to escape, looking for a life in the wild that no longer exists. There is a strong and constant contrast between how the animals live and life in the city, from the pace to the vast difference in ambient sounds and volume.
She feels like she went a bit off course in her finale, but at the same time, the choice of footage has a compelling quality throughout. Capturing the animals themselves will always be an easy way to draw in an audience, it's still relaxing viewing even with its heavily contemplative atmosphere. At certain points, when it explores the human side of things, it even partially feels like a 1970s or 1980s cop movie with a noir twist. There is a wide variety in the footage, but the quality and atmosphere are extremely consistent.
It is Night in America brings together an almost hypnotic combination of images, enveloping them in a pensive, thoughtful atmosphere. She manages to ask a lot of questions without having to say anything. The use of day at night adds a number of different layers, while enhancing the atmosphere to something more complex and melancholic, almost regretful. It's far from what you'd expect from a typical wildlife documentary, as it takes on a fresh, unique and unexpectedly compelling style.
Comments
Post a Comment