Winner of the International Film Critics Prize and the Jury Grand Prix at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Dream of Light has been a very scarce commodity in U.S. movie houses for nearly a decade. With this long anticipated home video release, a much wider audience will be exposed to this remarkable documentary, in which Spanish filmmaker Victor Erice (The Spirit of the Beehive) spends several months in the fall of 1990 filming painter Antonio Lopez Garcia as he attempts to capture, first on canvas, then on paper, the play of sunlight and shadow on a quince tree in his garden. Erice's camera is as patient as Garcia; it dwells on Garcia's every move and gesture, documenting his meticulous preparations, looking over his shoulder as he paints, helping the viewer to see what Garcia sees. An inspired art documentary that, in its own way, exhibits an impressive artistry, Erice's film is a study of the process as well as the aesthetics of art, and it's more. It's about the ambiance of daily life; it's about painting nature and painting in nature. And it's about a life in art, surrounded by old friends, kids, the family dog, and the unflagging passion to capture those elusive, beautiful images that are right under our noses every day. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Van Vleck)
Dream of Light
(1999) 138 min. In Spanish w/English subtitles. $79.95. Facets Multimedia. Color cover. ISBN: 1-56580-207-1. Vol. 16, Issue 1
Dream of Light
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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