THE ZONE… A Feature Length Film by Vicki Bennett

~~Update (2013) This film received a take down order from Mosfilm who represent Tarkovsky’s estate, so unfortunately you cannot see it at this point in time. Read more about this.~~

UPDATE (2017) – Turns out the Mosfilm do NOT own Tarkovsky films, nor have they ever!!! We were not alone in receiving take down orders from them, they’d been sending them to many people for years. We were informed of this by Curzon who DO own them, at least now. The Zone is up here:

UPDATE HERE: https://www.thewire.co.uk/in-writing/interviews/vicki-bennett-speaks-to-emily-bick-people-like-us
WATCH HERE: https://vimeo.com/44258244

THE ZONE
This first feature-length film by Vicki Bennett tells one story of two journeys to the promised land, the world where dreams can be made real and reality is like a dream. The relationship between narratives holds surprising coincidences and surreal tangents and departures as they both dance their (not so) merry dance to their shangri-la. The films sit side by side, staying loyal to the linear narrative, but editing the longer film to the length of the shorter. The film was structured so that the crossover point from monotone to colour in imagery occur at the same stage. This method of story telling is challenging, sometimes jarring, but one’s patience is paid off with delightful harmonies and synchronicities both in images and narrative occurring far more than either pure chance would dictate or the imagination construct. This film is inspired by the Chance Operations of John Cage, Cut-Up techniques of Gysin/Burroughs and Kurt Schwitters, and single shot/durational films (Andy Warhol, James Benning).

“Happiness for everybody! . . . Free! As much as you want! . . . Everybody come here! . . . There’s enough for everybody! . . . Nobody will leave unsatisfied! . . . Free! . . . Happiness! . . . Free!” – from Roadside Picnic (the novel that Stalker is loosely based on)