Nostalgia for the light is a beautifully composed documentary with stunning cinematography and immensely meticulous covering of the tumultuous history of Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship and human rights abuses. The documentary was released in 2010 by director Patricio Guzman which compares the similarities between Chilean astronomers researching the starry skies and the bony earth.
From a filmmaking cinematic point of view the opening sequence of the telescope being the centre of focus the literal beacon of light is expressed through the exposure of light coming through the camera lens after the observatory telescope is revealed in a low angle long shot. The camera remains still as if it is a part of the telescope as it seems the background rotates around it. As the roof opens and reveals a full display of sunlight the director uses the exposure of light as a significant transitional fade as the moon fades in and is straight away our centre of attention. Guzman decides to pan across still images of the moon, instead of an assuming live imagine of the moon through the telescope almost as if it’s nostalgic peering at some of the older photographs of the moon. The inference of this may be the telescope may not be necessarily in full operation like it use to but it is important to see its original purpose before seeing what else the telescope is capable of. The next phase of still shots are quite creative and beautifully shot and framed. They are a compilation of still shots from a small house potentially and assumably of the subject (voice behind the visuals). The vision necessarily doesn’t match the exact time and place which the subject mentions but it is important for establishing a person and the environment that they inhabit. It is a beautiful way to present a person and their life when the director doesn’t opt to use archival footage. The still shots show a quiet and desolate house with plenty of warmth and character. The variety of shots displays the subjects strong religion, appreciation for art, love of colours and vibrancy, attention to detail and comfort.
The transition from the front of the house to the dusty appearing and transporting the audience to a different location is very decisive, the dust blows over the still shot from left to right and fills the screen and the background fades out as the foreground dust effect gains in size and becomes the next location of the documentary. The effects with the two points of lights clashing in the centre of the specks of dust is truly a cinematic piece of art. It is beautifully lit and well composed the on screen narrating is relevant to the ‘tides of change’ tide of dust change coming in the form of moving dust metaphoric memories, unearthing moments. Star dust is on the screen also through the narration which is what the dust effect can also represent, the dreamy euphoric state of being. The dust subsides and reveals old machinery and technology being used once more potentially in the context of the documentary as searchers of answers and new information. The camera pans upwards and reveals another observatory lowly naturally lit and dilapidated, the cinematography leaves us with many unanswered questions including whether the subsiding dust revealing the old observatory is uncovering its next mission and purpose…
Michael Serpell
