Things That Were There

About This Movie

So, 'Things That Were There' is this fascinating slice of experimental video art, right? Grif Benzel takes us on a journey with footage from an LG Env3 flip phone, capturing moments from around 2009-2010. The tone feels raw, unpolished - like a personal diary that's been digitized. It's not just a collection of clips; it tells a story through its pacing, which can feel meandering but purposeful. You get a real sense of nostalgia, mixed with a bit of melancholy. The practical effects are just the reality of everyday life, nothing staged. It’s the kind of work that makes you reflect on memory and the transient nature of things. Definitely something that stands out in the documentary genre for its uniqueness.

Experimental documentary styleUtilizes vintage flip phone footageThemes of memory and nostalgia