Bania
- Director: David Teboul
- Writer: David Teboul
- Producer: Richard Copans
CGiii Comment
Of course it's homoerotic...naked men washing themselves and each other in what looks like the grubbiest bath-house on the planet.
But...these men are Clean! Captured - on film - by a static camera which could suggest that the camera was actually hidden. If so, this is just an gross invasion of privacy. Still...none of the 'participants' are ever likely to ever see this film. They're not missing much!
Then - for some unknown reason - the director changes tack. A room full of naked men wandering around [aimlessly] and the camera focuses - in close-up - on their bits and pieces.
Back to the bath-house...there is a startling contrast between the men...but, with no commentary whatsoever, this is merely reduced to an uncomfortable voyeurism. A modicum of artistry could have raised this to a whole new level...communal washing is a fascinating tradition...it would have been interesting to find out why it still persists. No luck there!
Watch the incredible 100 Days Before the Command to see how to it should have been done!
No trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
"Bania" is an exploration Russian society through its bath-houses in the city, the countryside, in a monastery, a factory or a prison. The film plays with the boundaries between personal and social space in scenes where naked bodies, marked by tattoos, suffering, labour or war, tell a tale. This film was made by a photographer who, confronted by these naked bodies bathed in steam, invents an unique and timeless plastic world, in the style of classical painting.