Using long takes and immersive sound to find beauty and mystery in the…
Kingdom of Animal
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
Kingdom of Animal is a one-shot documentary revealing the experiential sensations of factory laborers who process lobsters and fish inside three interconnected factories on the coast of Prospect Harbor, Maine.
The film's cinematic approach took three months, and gives particular attention to the rhythms and patterns of workers, the timing of lunch-breaks, delivery of product, and methods of moving the camera to seamlessly flow from one space to the next. The result is a seventy-two minute single, moving shot with no edits or cuts.
The goal of the filmmakers was to reveal an “order of things,” a structure of an experience, and find drama in the mundane experiences of situational work. The continuous long-shot allows for a continuation of experience, making the familiar unfamiliar (and vice versa). It also helps viewers recognize the boundaries and limitations of how documentaries are often edited to convey a message, expose an injustice, collapse time, and make a statement or social impact by sending a message.