赞美缓慢 In Praise of Slowness

In Praise of Slowness is Hicham Gardaf’s alluring study of Moroccan street hawkers, as they roam Tangier’s streets and hills to dilute, bottle, and sell bleach. Capturing their startling, bulbous silhouettes and distinct, acerbic cries announcing goods for sale, In Praise of Slowness hones in on the methodic rituals of a slow and humble trade, and the domestic labour it enables. In revisiting a childhood memory – a once ubiquitous livelihood is now under threat by mass industrialisation – the dreamlike reverence of infancy imbues the film’s imagery, lending its mundane subject matter an otherworldly texture. Yet, in his exploration of the gentle, dedicated pacing of unautomated and resourceful labour practices, Gardaf is sparing with his rich visuals, playing with absence of image to explore sensory intuition and interdependency, exploring how sight and hearing intersect to form an understanding of one’s place within a given environment.