With the release of Andrea Arnold’s incredible Cow coming soon, it feels like a good time to prepare by looking at ten other documentaries that steer away from focusing on boring old humans. The cinema of the non-human has a long history in documentary, with some of the most successful documentaries of all time looking at nature and the wider world. This list will look at an array of styles and subjects – none of which are entirely human — giving you a breadth of docs to add to your watchlist before Ms. Arnold’s bovine delight!
Aquarela (2018, dir. Viktor Kossakovsky)
It may feel more appropriate to include director Viktor Kossakovsky’s more recent film Gunda as part of this list; however, Aquarela is a film that attempts to push the boundaries of documentary through its subject much more ambitiously. Following the “life cycle” of water – from ice through to liquid, its contact with the earth, all the way through to steam — the film is a visceral experience of the world’s most common element. Branded “the most dangerous film ever made” by IndieWire, the film does not shy away from the ever increasing threat water poses given increasing climate issues.
The Arboretum Cycle (2017, dir. Nathaniel Dorsky)
Shot in San Francisco’s Arboretum, director Nathaniel Dorsky has said that he believes his group of films collectively known as The Arboretum Cycle are entirely dedicated to “the sacredness of light.” Perhaps one of the most moving experiences to have in a theatre, Dorsky takes cinema back to its most basic ingredient — light — and takes his audience on an entirely transcendental journey. Although difficult to access, The Arboretum Cycle is a film to jump at the chance to see — and a life-changing experience.
Freshwater Assassins (1947, dir. Jean Painlevé)
It may seem strange to include an educational film about the food-chain in a pond as part of this list. However, director Jean Painlevé, a favourite of the surrealists, manages to turn aquatic life into something truly fantastic with imagery that makes the lives of these creatures seem something completely alien.
The Hellstrom Chronicle (1971, dir. Walon Green & Ed Spiegel)
Perhaps not entirely non-human given its topic, however very much in keeping with the spirit of non-human cinema, The Hellstrom Chronicle is a nature documentary like you have never seen. The film takes the position that insects will win the fight for survival and dominance of planet Earth, mainly due to their collectivism — as opposed to the increasingly individualistic nature of humanity. Filled with dread, horror, and plenty of bugs, here is a film that worships at the shrine of the creepy-crawly.
Leviathan (2012, dir. Véréna Paravel & Lucien Castaing-Taylor)
It would be impossible to create this list without touching on Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor’s Leviathan. Shot across six trips lasting two months while working twenty-hour shifts on a ship, the directors used GoPro cameras to create a film that sees the sea as a resource; a beast to be tamed. Although the film does focus on the workers aboard the ship, the film could easily be taken as a documentary on the pure relentlessness of nature as a truly unstoppable force, and one perhaps never before captured in such an abrasive manner.
Mothlight (1963, dir. Stan Brakhage)
On the more experimental side of things, Stan Brakhage’s Mothlight, created without a camera but instead by splicing grass, flower petals, and yes, moth wings between two strips of 16mm creates a breathtaking effect that is pure nature on film. This film is similar in spirit to Dorksy’s, but with a much earthier and tactile feel and technique.
Now, at Last! (2018, dir. Ben Rivers)
Keeping on the experimental theme, we now come to Ben Rivers and the film that brought us sloth time! Now, at Last! is a real trip, allowing us to see the world through a sloth’s eyes. With dazzling colour separation on the film’s 16mm, the movements of our star look graceful, joyous, and free — as punctuated by the film’s use of “Unchained Melody.” Bucking every trend of slow cinema you can imagine, the film reinforces not only the beauty, but the importance of nature.
Sleep Has Her House (2017, dir. Scott Barley)
In a world devoid of humans, where the fauna are few, death creeps through the landscape. Scott Barley’s Sleep Has Her House is one of the most unsettling films around, combining long static takes with still photography and hand drawn images.The apocalyptic tone set in this film devoid of human life will surely haunt any audience for long after viewing.
Stray (2020, dir. Elizabeth Lo)
Stray lets its audience look at the world from a wholly unique gaze. Following the stray dogs that roam the streets of Istanbul, the film looks at what it is to live in an environment created for experiences completely alien to your own. The pace and patterns of life are completely rearranged for the street dogs, creating an experience that seems at first to wrongfoot the viewer, but soon becomes completely normal.
Ten Skies (2004, dir. James Benning)
James Benning’s Ten Skies contains exactly what its title suggests. Ten shots of ten different skies, each ten minutes long. Simple. Yet, when experienced in a cinema, the film becomes something wholly different. Clarity, belonging, community, spirituality, emptiness, and wholeness can all be found within. An active viewing may be difficult outside of the cinema, and it is a film rarely screened, yet I would encourage everyone to try and really sit and watch this film that feels truly magical. I can’t quite put my finger on why — perhaps the limitlessness of the sky or the dreamy potential of clouds — but this is cinema at its best.
