Contemporary Filmmakers Reject Realism for Liberated Cinema, Inspired by Early Film History

Modern filmmakers are moving away from realistic portrayals towards more imaginative and liberated narratives. Miguel Gomes, a Portuguese director, critiques cinematic realism for creating an alternate reality. His upcoming film, Grand Tour, set to be shown at the Toronto Film Festival next month, delves into filmic reality through a picaresque storyline that traverses various Asian nations, employing black-and-white for historical fiction and color for contemporary documentary. Jia Zhangke’s Caught by the Tides chronicles two decades of China’s evolution, merging new and archival footage. Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes, fuses documentary with surreal elements. Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, debuting in September, stars Adam Driver and boldly challenges André Bazin’s concept of realism.