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Rating: A film to rediscover
The year was 2003. Struck on the path of maturity by the nonconformity of cursed poets, dandies, and bards, in my cinephile experience, I decided to deviate from the highway of blockbusters and mega productions. So I subscribed with my older brother to the autumn screening at the Namastè theater, in Cagliari. I drove against traffic, while the viewers poured from the city towards the multiplex on the outskirts, I, from the outskirts, moved towards this small theater located in a narrow street in the center, almost entirely forbidden to traffic, on Sunday evening.
I was looking for a place instead of a non-place just a few meters from home. In the hope of encountering films that spoke to me, I certainly found indelible memories.
Among these memories, one was more vague and undefined, but it became clear in my mind while I was watching the snow of Kaufman's latest film: Kitchen Stories by Norwegian Bent Hamer.
The snow, the isolated houses, the silences. This is the link between the two films.
I will talk about the first film, the one from 2003, which tells a plausible story.
In 1944, in Sweden, a research institute was founded with the aim of studying the domestic habits of people and thus creating more functional products to ease domestic work. The latest research focuses on the kitchen habits of Norwegian bachelors.
A troop of observers invades Norway. For an entire year, they will live in trailers, all perfectly identical, in the garden of the house where they will work. Their job will consist of observing from a sort of tennis umpire chair the movements of the homeowner and noting them in a notebook provided by the company.
They may come and go at their leisure.
They may not speak with the homeowner.
They may not participate in household chores.
The film follows the story of Isaac and Folke. Isaac is our homeowner, Folke is the ISF observer.
Isaac is a saboteur, and the investigation will therefore have unforeseen developments.
We will see man on one side, the positivist socio-behavioral deterministic capitalist determinism on the other, and human relationships in between.
A curious story, don't you think?
What other reasons are there to watch the film?
The director's gaze is light, between irony and melancholy.
The subjective shots, from the umpire chair and the second floor, offer new perspectives.
And finally, but not least, a story of an institute that wants to know our every action. Doesn't it sound familiar to you?
Alexa, Kitchen stories. And enjoy the viewing…
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