Walking through history with Titaÿna in Promenade en Chine

If you're looking for a plot, look elsewhere. Promenade en Chine is basically a long, wandering gaze at a world that doesn't exist anymore. It’s perfect if you like history or just want to stare at old footage, but if you need a story to keep you awake, you're gonna have a rough time.

Titaÿna is the center of this thing, and she’s got this strange energy. Sometimes she’s just staring right into the camera like she’s trying to figure out if it’s recording her or judging her. It’s not like the polished stuff you see in The Big Broadcast where everyone knows exactly where to stand.

The pacing is honestly all over the place. One minute we're watching a busy market, and the next we're stuck on a shot of a wall for way too long. It’s delightfully messy. You can tell they were just figuring it out as they went along. 🎥

There’s this one bit where a street performer goes on for way too many minutes. It stops being interesting and starts being just plain awkward. I think that's the best part, honestly. It feels real. It doesn't have the manufactured tension of something like Le criminel, and that's refreshing.

It’s not trying to be a masterpiece. It’s just a record. Sometimes the frame gets shaky. Sometimes the focus is soft. It’s kind of like watching a home movie that was filmed by someone with a really expensive camera but no real instruction manual. 🌏

I found myself zoning out and just listening to the hum of the film. It's quiet. It doesn't have the bombast of Simba: The King of the Beasts. It just is.

If you have a free hour and don't mind feeling a bit lost, give it a go. Just don't expect it to explain itself. It won't.