Review by Milan Paurich
For the first hour or so I kept asking myself that question. By the time it was over, I realized it was both. And, furthermore, that it really didn’t matter.
Co-directed by Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez, MANAKAMANA is pretty much the definition of “ambient cinema.” Consisting of 11 unbroken (i.e., there aren’t any edits and the camera remains securely tethered to a tripod built by the filmmakers for the duration of the shoot) sequences of passengers riding a cable car to the titular Nepal temple, the film is one of the most unique and unforgettable in recent memory. (Try saying that about EARTH TO ECHO.)
