Journey to the West (2014)

Journey to the West 2014 / 西遊 2014 / Xi You

The film content consists almost entirely of long, minimalist sequences showing a Buddhist monk in saffron robe walking very (almost imperceptibly) slowly — according to the Zen kinhin (walking meditation) practice — through public spaces in Marseilles, France, while passersby swarm around him. It begins, however, with a long, extreme closeup on the French actor Denis Lavant, who is later seen again following behind the monk and matching his every move exactly. ~~ A co-production with France.