Coming to theatres today, Friday, May 31: TRIUMPH OF THE WALL
Bill Stone’s meditation on art, work, and life had its world premiere – under its original title WORK IN PROGRESS – at RIDM in 2011. Since then, it has screened at Victoria, picked up a prize at Les Rendez-vous du Cinema Quebecois, and has been released in theatres in Montreal.
Simply put, Stone’s is an unusual film. After filming for others’ projects, Stone was seeking inspiration for his own documentary film, but noted he didn’t really have a grasp on or perhaps much interest in dramatic situations, preferring to film the rhythms of nature. When he met novice stonemason Chris Overing and learned of his plan to spend the summer building a 1000-foot dry-stone wall – one with no cement – in rural Quebec, the aptly named Stone decided he had found a cut-and-dried subject for his debut. Fast forward eight weeks, and Overing is only eight percent of the way done. Over the next several years, Stone would return to film Overing and various assistants who would join the charismatic man on his seemingly unhurried mission. Along the way, Stone muses about the documentary director/subject relationship, work vs art, the nature of life, and if Overing’s wall – and his own film – would ever be completed. As signaled by both of the film’s titles, it seems the wall, not the men, win – it’s not clear by the end of the film that the project has been completed – but at least for Stone, he’s come to some kind of conclusion despite that. As an endurance contest of a sort for the audience, the act of watching the film approximates the long path taken by both Stone and Overing, accompanied by similar self-questioning: Should they stick it out to the end? Will it, in fact, ever end? What’s it all mean? For a doc that in ordinary circumstances shouldn’t work – featuring as it does a certain amount of filmmaker self-indulgence, a great deal of narration, an eye-rolling focus on “big questions,” and an on-the-surface boring premise that would seem just a notch above watching paint dry – it’s surprisingly successful more often than it isn’t. While never laugh out loud funny, there’s enjoyment to be had from some of Stone’s deadpan and self-aware commentary, and two assistant builders provide an added dose of levity for one stretch. It’s certain not to be to everyone’s taste but as a piece of meta-commentary about the creative process and about documentary filmmaking specifically, there’s something definitely worthwhile here for some viewers.
what (not) to doc 