A Dog Called Money

Seamus Murphy's 2019 documentary covers the preparation and recording of an album by the musician PJ Harvey. Murphy and Harvey travelled together to Afghanistan, Kosovo and America, and the material of the songs came out of those journeys. The second half takes place in the studio. The recording was made in a glass room in London where visitors could watch from outside; that arrangement turned the process of creation into an exhibition, and the film records it directly. Murphy worked as a photojournalist and the travel sections carry his eye. The narrative offers no explanation; the political context of the places visited is not given, and that is the film's most contested aspect. Who it's for: those who like music documentaries and films about the process of making work. Who it's not for: viewers expecting context about the countries visited; the film settles for observation and does not comment.