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In 1967, Jean-Luc Godard released his film "Week-end." One of its scenes, in which the two protagonists stubbornly overtake an extensive traffi c jam in a Facel Vega Facellia cabriolet,qualifies as the longest tracking shots in the history of cinema. The camera slowly passes by the line of about forty motionless cars whose occupants employ the most varied techniques to kill time. In a sense the viewer is also waiting, for seven long minutes, wondering what the cause of thetraffic jam might be.In what for Godard is a metaphor for life-the camera's journey ends in a pool of blood, the victims and the crippled cars have meanwhile been cleared from the street-Pascal Cavin sees, somewhat nostalgically, an impressive catalogue of cars. By isolating and labeling the individual vehicles in forty-five stills, he creates a thorough historical inventory of the automobile types populating the streets in the late 1960s.
About the author
Pascal Cavin was born in Switzerland in 1972. For the past twenty years his prolific artistic production has included drawings, paintings, photographs and texts. He has taught at the École Supérieure d'Arts Appliqués in Vevey, Switzerland, since 2006.
Summary
In 1967, Jean-Luc Godard released his film “Week-end.” One of its scenes, in which the two protagonists stubbornly overtake an extensive traffi c jam in a Facel Vega Facellia cabriolet,qualifies as the longest tracking shots in the history of cinema. The camera slowly passes by the line of about forty motionless cars whose occupants employ the most varied techniques to kill time. In a sense the viewer is also waiting, for seven long minutes, wondering what the cause of thetraffic jam might be.
In what for Godard is a metaphor for life—the camera’s journey ends in a pool of blood, the victims and the crippled cars have meanwhile been cleared from the street—Pascal Cavin sees, somewhat nostalgically, an impressive catalogue of cars. By isolating and labeling the individual vehicles in forty-five stills, he creates a thorough historical inventory of the automobile types populating the streets in the late 1960s.
