#2 - THE PEARL BUTTON by Patricio Guzman (France/Spain/Chile/Switzerland)
The Pearl Button is an essay documentary that muses about many themes and aspects of humanity and existance by drawing inspiration from the element of water.
More specifically, it starts by stating the undeniable fact that water is where life first originated, and that it is vital to our very existance. In a natural and fluid way, it then goes on to reflect upon history and humanity by retracing the history of the country of Chile, itself geographically distinctively shaped by water, and focusing on two ages that had a significant impact on it; the age of colonialism and the dark years of the Pinochet years. But it doesn't stop there, as it then ponders upon many of the mysterious questions of our existance, such as why we live, where we came from and what the meaning of life is.
The lyrical nature of the film is dictated by Guzman's soothing, passionate and rich narration, strengthened by the beauty of the images that support it. However, the narration is also broken up and supported by interventions from other people, such as scientists, historians, artists, poets and representatives of the last generations of Chilean tribes that lived a simple lifestyle based around the water and its produce. An appropriately immersive and powerful experience.