Film: As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

Around the exhibition, Filmhuis De Spiegel, in collaboration with SCHUNCK, will screen five different films loosely connected to the themes of the exhibition. On 9 March, this will be 'As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty.'

Everything that matters in life unfolds in this documentary, which arguably has the most beautiful film title ever.

Devotion

Jonas Mekas collects short fragments of everyday beauty that he captured over thirty years with his camera: the first snowfall in New York, his friends' faces turning red after an evening of wine by candlelight, or a sunrise over the city seen through a dusty train window. His family life, travels to Europe, the changing seasons, and the never-ending quest for moments of beauty and joy. These moments, which many notice but few truly see, receive Mekas's full attention.

His camera allows him to lose himself in these moments in a way that wouldn’t be possible without the lens. The five-hour flow of images is moving, not just because of the precise editing or visual power. The viewer senses the overwhelming emotion that Mekas felt, which drove him to pick up his camera. 'As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty' draws its power from the devotion Mekas shows to what he films.

Five hours to tell an entire human life story—that's actually quite fast. Praised by many European and American critics as a masterpiece but rarely seen on the big screen in the Benelux, this is a one-time, unique screening you probably don’t want to miss.

'As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty' will be shown with English subtitles. Includes an intermission.