"We need work that is impossible to describe,” the maverick documentarian and fiction filmmaker Kimi Takesue shared this sentiment during her interview with Filmmaker Magazine, revisiting her struggles of bringing her creation to light. An apt description for her movie, "Onlookers," a film that may seem overtly simplistic but carries layers beneath.
The film unfolds through a series of meticulously composed shots over an hour and twenty minutes. It captures natives of Laos and tourists as they observe diverse sights, backed by a fine blend of diegetic sounds that augment the viewing experience.
As the film rolls, viewers are taken from a resplendently gilded temple to another in considerable despair. An intriguing scene depicts monks collecting alms while locals and tourists alike capture the moment in their frames. The sense of Takesue's restrained presence is felt throughout the film and becomes more apparent when a young schoolboy merrily poses for her camera.
The beauty of this film perhaps lies in its eventless simplicity. Majestic views of what one can presume as the Mekong River lace the visuals without providing any explanatory subtitles, leaving the viewer in thoughtful ambiguity.
Another interesting aspect is what the film deliberately omits. It lacks scenes of financial transactions or nightlife or overt references to colonialism. It subtly hints at these aspects through its choice of scenes and languages used, implicating Laos' historical ties with French Indochina. Yet, the interpretation of these elements is left entirely to the viewer's intellect and imagination.
Interestingly, this subtlety often leads film scholars globally to delve deep into the 'Ideology of the Shot' concept. However, one fascinating scene of Western visitors engrossed in a "Friends" rerun in a Laotian bar might prompt even those without an in-depth understanding of film studies to appreciate the unconventional lens of Takesue.
Understanding the essence of "Onlookers" may not require a film studies degree. It effortlessly conveys the global irony in scenes like writing "REGGAE BAR: Back To My Roots" on a Laotian chalkboard while Toots and the Maytals’ song plays in the background. Nonetheless, it undeniably offers a unique cinematic experience that transcends the bounds of pure visual delight and provokes thought, subtly yet surely."
