Ruhr
2009 · 122 min · ★ 6.6 · Documentary
Seven entirely static shots make up James Benning's quiet reflection on existence in the Ruhr Valley.
Directed by James Benning · Written by James Benning
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Him and Me · 1982Him and Me
★ 8.01982
MovieDrama
One man's journey through the American landscape as he has experienced it since the 1950s.
North on Evers · 1992North on Evers
★ 7.51992
MovieDocumentary
In NORTH ON EVERS James Benning takes the road movie seriously, making his circular trip across the U.S. a marvelously photographed, intensely felt, and disturbing portrait of contemporary America. In many ways, this recent film is a departure of Benning’s earlier films which are characterized, at times, by extremely long, carefully planned takes and a minimal narrative approach. In NORTH ON EVERS, the shots are kept short with a narrative that is direct and detailed, like a diary or a long series of postcards to a friend. What this work shares with the other films is a dry wit and a deep interest in the American social landscape.
Grand Opera: An Historical Romance · 1979Grand Opera: An Historical Romance
★ 7.51979
MovieDocumentary
Grand Opera marks a stock-taking of Benning's work and his life, presenting a personal and artistic autobiography woven together with a series of events dealing with the historical development of the number pi, Benning's travels, and homages to Michael Snow, Hollis Frampton, George Landow (Owen Land), and Yvonne Rainer.
El Valley Centro · 2000El Valley Centro
★ 7.42000
MovieDocumentary
Experimental filmmaker James Benning returns with this abstract documentary about California's Central Valley, part 1 of his "California Trilogy". Consisting of 35 shots, each over two minutes long, the film quietly portrays nature's subjugation to encroaching commercial interests. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.
11 x 14 · 197711 x 14
★ 7.41977
MovieDocumentary
65 shots making up a cryptically alluded-to narrative: a lesbian couple's Midwest travels, a hitchhiking young man's journeys, the story of a man who may be having an affair.
Landscape Suicide · 1987Landscape Suicide
★ 7.41987
MovieCrimeDrama
Benning continues his examination of Americana in this film through the stories of two murderers. Ed Gein was a Wisconsin farmer and multiple murderer who taxidermied his victims in the 1950s. Bernadette Protti was a California teenager who stabbed a friend to death over an insult in 1984.
Pig Iron · 2010Pig Iron
★ 7.32010
Movie
Iron ore is super heated in a blast furnace to make pig iron, which in turn is used to produce steel. The making of steel is a continuous process. Pig iron is moved from the blast furnace to the steel plant by railroad. The trains are operated by remote control.
Ten Skies · 2004Ten Skies
★ 7.22004
MovieDocumentary
An experimental film portraying different skies in very long takes.
One Way Boogie Woogie/27 Years Later · 2005One Way Boogie Woogie/27 Years Later
★ 6.62005
MovieDocumentary
One half filmed in 1977, one half filmed 27 years later. Director combined the structural analysis of image and sound with fragments of a narrative interspersed with autobiographical traces and an almost "classical" interest in image composition, color, light and landscape.
Water Spell · 2007Water Spell
★ 6.52007
Movie
"Sandy Ding's WATER SPELL is a bold, abstract journey that takes us into the psychic interior of our very cellular structure... and back. For me, this film is about reincarnation and transformation, on both the spiritual and sub-atomic levels. This is not an easy film, but it is a powerful one."
--Nina Menkes
20 Little Films · 201220 Little Films
★ 6.02012
MovieDocumentary
Since 1995, the Viennale has invited renowned directors to create short, one-minute films as personal contributions to the festival. Ranging from home movies to political essays, musical sketches to abstract studies, these “little films” form a unique anthology of cinematic moments. 20 Little Films collects a selection of these works, premiering together for the Viennale’s 50th anniversary at the Locarno Film Festival.
Little Boy · 2025Little Boy
★ 6.02025
MovieDocumentary
A film looking at the past to warn about the future, from a little boy's point of view. A companion to ‘American Dreams (lost and found)’ (1984)
Used Innocence · 1989Used Innocence
★ 6.01989
MovieDocumentary
Using experimental narrative structure as his vehicle, Benning recreates the sensationalized and controversial circumstances surrounding Lorencia Bembenek, aka "Bambi", former "Playboy bunny" turned cop, turned accused and convicted killer who disappeared after a daring escape from prison. The film shows the evolution of Benning's and Bembenek's relationship presented through their actual letters read in voice over which depict the filmmaker's curiosity with the subject as it evolves from intrigue to a love obsession.
YouTube Trilogy: 4 Songs, History, Asian Girls · 2011YouTube Trilogy: 4 Songs, History, Asian Girls
★ 5.72011
MovieDocumentary
Director James Benning turned his attention to the digital world in YouTube Trilogy, organizing found material around three thematic clusters.
Santa Teresa & Other Stories · 2015Santa Teresa & Other Stories
★ 5.42015
MovieDocumentary
In the fictional city of Santa Teresa, located on the border between Mexico and USA, the researcher Juan de Dios Martínez straddles the line between journalism and detective work. Based on an unfinished book by Roberto Bolaño, his character investigates a handful of crimes and abuses perpetrated on women and workers of the zone.
She Dies Tomorrow · 2020She Dies Tomorrow
★ 5.12020
MovieDrama
Amy is ravaged by the notion that she is going to die tomorrow, which sends her down a dizzying emotional spiral. When her skeptical friend Jane discovers Amy’s feeling of imminent death to be contagious, they both begin bizarre journeys through what might be the last day of their lives.
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Standing in the Shadows of Motown · 2002Standing in the Shadows of Motown
★ 7.02002
MovieDocumentaryMusic
In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. gathered the best musicians from Detroit's thriving jazz and blues scene to begin cutting songs for his new record company. Over a fourteen year period they were the heartbeat on every hit from Motown's Detroit era. By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They called themselves the Funk Brothers. Forty-one years after they played their first note on a Motown record and three decades since they were all together, the Funk Brothers reunited back in Detroit to play their music and tell their unforgettable story, with the help of archival footage, still photos, narration, interviews, re-creation scenes, 20 Motown master tracks, and twelve new live performances of Motown classics with the Brothers backing up contemporary performers.
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue · 2009Nightmares in Red, White and Blue
★ 6.52009
MovieDocumentaryHorror
An exploration of the appeal of horror films, with interviews of many legendary directors in the genre.
