Los (2001)

Director: James Benning

The second episode of Benning's 'California Trilogy' concentrates on the outskirts of Los Angeles. As with rural predecessor El Valley Centro, we get 35 static shots of 150 seconds each, this time taking in various industrial and residential corners of the sprawling mega-city. As before, the cumulative effect is staggering: Los can be taken as 35 short movies, each not only saying something about the state of modern California, even as they poses fascinating questions about Benning's own technique. Viewing becomes an active, enthralling experience - and the film-maker's choice of shots transforms the whole of the Greater LA region into one colossal work of art, making it even 'greater'.

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