The Blue Planet

Franco Piavoli's 1982 Italian film follows the four seasons of a year. There is no narrative, no character and almost no speech; the camera records nature, animals and the people of a village with the same attention. The structure is cyclical. It begins in spring, passes through summer, autumn and winter and returns where it started; human life is shown as a stage within the same cycle. Childhood, youth, adulthood and old age are given alongside the seasons. Sound design is the main instrument. Water, insects, wind and distant human voices were each recorded separately; music is used very sparingly. Piavoli shot the film in the region where he lives, with a small crew. Who it's for: those who like experimental nature films and cinema without dialogue. Who it's not for: viewers looking for narrative; across eighty minutes the film builds no story.