I really don't know how to accurately describe Sans Soleil. It isn't entirely a documentary since it has scripted narration that is from the perspective of one fictional person to another. But it is also very much not a narrative film. It exists somewhere in between the two styles and creates something that could only have come from the mind of the elusive Chris Marker. The images are so beautiful and the ideas so insightful that either could easily exist without the other. But it is the ways in which they merge and play off one another that makes this film so truly wonderful. What could have been an above average TV travel special or NPR segment, instead becomes a fascinating examination of memory and one of the most unique cinematic experiences you will ever have. When you or I go on vacation, we come back with a few photos and maybe one interesting story. Chris Marker comes back with a masterpiece.
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