Roy Andersson’s “Songs from the Second Floor”

Contemplating the Art of Existence

Nonfiction, History, Scandinavia, Entertainment, Film, Direction & Production, Performing Arts
Cover of the book Roy Andersson’s “Songs from the Second Floor” by Ursula Lindqvist, University of Washington Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ursula Lindqvist ISBN: 9780295806648
Publisher: University of Washington Press Publication: August 25, 2016
Imprint: University of Washington Press Language: English
Author: Ursula Lindqvist
ISBN: 9780295806648
Publisher: University of Washington Press
Publication: August 25, 2016
Imprint: University of Washington Press
Language: English

Swedish filmmaker Roy Andersson�s celebrated and enigmatic film Songs from the Second Floor, his first feature film in twenty-five years, won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000. The �songs� of the film�s title refer to Andersson�s artistic ruminations on the state of mankind from his office on the second floor of Studio 24 in Stockholm. The film presents a series of forty-six tableaux�long, deep-focus shots with a still camera, mostly in studio settings, using older visual tricks such as trompe l�oeil. The tableaux showcase seemingly trivial tragicomic situations designed to provoke thoughts about existential guilt, broken relationships, and the failure of social institutions to treat people as human beings.

Lindqvist draws from interviews with Andersson and his team that provide a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made and investigates its philosophical and artistic influences, providing a nuanced reading of a film that has both befuddled and entranced its viewers. This first book-length study in English of Andersson�s work considers his aesthetic agenda and the unique methods that have become hallmarks of his filmmaking, as well as his firm belief in film�s revolutionary function as social critique.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Swedish filmmaker Roy Andersson�s celebrated and enigmatic film Songs from the Second Floor, his first feature film in twenty-five years, won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000. The �songs� of the film�s title refer to Andersson�s artistic ruminations on the state of mankind from his office on the second floor of Studio 24 in Stockholm. The film presents a series of forty-six tableaux�long, deep-focus shots with a still camera, mostly in studio settings, using older visual tricks such as trompe l�oeil. The tableaux showcase seemingly trivial tragicomic situations designed to provoke thoughts about existential guilt, broken relationships, and the failure of social institutions to treat people as human beings.

Lindqvist draws from interviews with Andersson and his team that provide a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made and investigates its philosophical and artistic influences, providing a nuanced reading of a film that has both befuddled and entranced its viewers. This first book-length study in English of Andersson�s work considers his aesthetic agenda and the unique methods that have become hallmarks of his filmmaking, as well as his firm belief in film�s revolutionary function as social critique.

More books from University of Washington Press

Cover of the book The Nature of California by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Quagmire by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Fire by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Technological Competition and Interdependence by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Icons of Danish Modernity by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Fascism and Modernist Literature in Norway by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Mending Fences by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Image Problems by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book A Symbol of Wilderness by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Driven Wild by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Chinese Encounters in Southeast Asia by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Political Leadership in Korea by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book I'm No Hero by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book John Okada by Ursula Lindqvist
Cover of the book Calling in the Soul by Ursula Lindqvist
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy