There are a few movie titles listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die that are very rare, not released on DVD or unavailable online, this French experimental film was one of the most impossible to find but thank goodness I did eventually. Basically elderly director Joris Ivens is travelling through fantasy and reality around China in an effort to capture the wind. This project will be his final film, at the age of 90, and being asthmatic, the filmmaker is also reflecting on his life and career. It sees real footage, as Ivens explores Chinese culture, mythology and the landscape, including archive footage from his previous films, including his 1938 footage of the Japanese invasion of China, an aerial view of the Great Wall of China, and Ivens being taken to hospital. It also takes trips into the mindscape, his imagination of things he has seen and dreamt about, including footage from the 1902 silent film A Trip to the Moon, Peking opera sequences, and a visit from the goddess Chang'e. In the Gobi Desert, an old woman approaches and says she can summon the wind by drawing a magic figure, she asks for two mechanical fans to do so, which Ivens agrees to give her. The final moments see Ivens explaining that throughout his entire career he tried to tame the wind by capturing it on camera, the woman draws in the sand, and heavy wind begins to blow in the previously calm desert. It is an interesting blend of fictional and fact, Ivens is an intriguing character, as you follow him through his strange journey, there are some fascinating things to see, the scenery and colourful traditional culture references are most memorable, so while it is a slightly slow film, it's not a bad documentary drama. Worth watching!
Review of A Tale of the Wind
