09.01.25, 20:30, Still Life (1974)

Still Life depicts the simple life of an old railway guard and his wife. He stares out the window and waits for the trains, while she fills her days weaving carpets. Their world is defined by a repetitive daily routine in and around their dilapidated cottage near the abandoned railway station. When the railway guard is suddenly retired, the lingering rhythm of days is violently broken. The prospect of the end of their existence leaves the two lovers to a new fate.

Iranian filmmaker Sohrab Shahid Saless creates a poignant meditation on the human condition and industrial age. The working individual becomes alienated from the outside world and slowly learns to love his cage. On the one hand, the monotony of Still Life conveys wonderment for everyday life, while on the other, quiet despair is ever-present. The pared-down realism and contemplative tone of the editing lull the viewer into a profound reflection on the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.

This film is preceded by Theo Warnier's film Dansen met Golven.