We’re in Paris on a midsummer’s night in 2020 - just after the lifting of two months of lockdown. Starting at the Pyramid in the Louvre, ending in the park of Buttes-Charmont, a single extended 85-minute shot conveys us through the streets, eavesdropping on conversations and stopping to observe, or to avoid the traffic, before taking off again. Sometimes we are snatched away too soon in mid-conversation, at others we are delighted by the perfect timing as the camera arrives on cue to capture some fleeting vignette. People are out in force, celebrating the release from confinement by simply walking their streets again, and sometimes it is difficult to tell if this is a series of random encounters or a brilliantly choreographed piece of street theatre. Whatever, Elisabeth Vogler’s film is an astounding achievement, and was quite rightly winner of the Best Cinematography Award at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival - it captures a special moment in a special city with expert panache.

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