Situated somewhere between home movie, doco and experimental film, this three-part narrative deals with murder, nature and children in Paris' colourful and multi-ethnic 18th arrondissement.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2007
RVB 2004
Situated somewhere between home movie, documentary and experimental film, RVB recounts three true stories. Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly shot what was to initially be a three-screen video installation (here presented in a single-screen version) over a period of three years in and around their home on Boulevard Barbès in Paris' colourful and multi-ethnic 18th arrondissement. Strands of loosely connected texts and images interweave, from which emerge three distinct narratives - murder, nature and children's tales. Each takes a couple as their subject: René and Claire Koskas, two local shopkeepers; Vera and Igor, two Japanese nightingales; Bo and Lotti, the filmmakers' twin daughters. Although focusing on the intimate and simple details of life – be it their own or that of the neighbourhood in which the filmmakers are actively involved – RVB is never voyeuristic. It probes profound themes without getting mired in solemnity, and brings to light the small revelations hovering within daily experience. — Sandra Reid