Pity River
From the Archives
•
12-Sep-2018
A man, a river, and a raccoon face off in this silent film by Parker Davis. Notable for its simplicity and earnestness, “Pity River,” finds a young man on a menial chore to remove a dead raccoon from near a river. The task is complicated when he accidentally drops the animal into the water, and is forced to chase it downstream. By withholding context — who is this man? what is he doing with the raccoon? — it stays open for interpretation. Are we simply witness to a man tracking a raccoon down a river, or could this also be viewed as a symbolic existential pursuit? Either way, it’s refreshingly lacking in cynicism or postmodern “coolness,” and arrives at a satisfying catharsis.
Written and Directed by Parker Davis. Music by Keen Collective. Cinematography by Hailey Schoenfeldt.
Up Next in From the Archives
-
Thus Began Antoine's Down-Going
Spending his days in a café in Paris watching people, Antoine falls for a woman he sees walking to the cinema. Paul Rigoux directs “Thus Began Antoine's Down-Going,” a poetic contemplation of love, art, and self; both an iconic depiction of a youthful French romance and a meta dissection of one. ...
-
Two Thousand Hours
A young woman recalls her lover and children. Written and Directed by Ryan Henry Knight. Creative Direction by Ryan Henry Knight and Luigi Thomas. Cast: Gelilla Mekonnen, Amira Nailah, Scott Moon, Ben Spencer, Paris Howard, Luigi Thomas.
-
Gottlieb
The story of a drug-fueled weekend in a Brooklyn apartment propelled by grief and loyalty. Lee, reeling from the death of his mother, visits the home of his old friend, Monty. Given his present state of mind (and body), it’s not a pleasant visit, at least from the perspective of Monty’s well put ...
