Gunda is a documentary that examines the daily life of several animals living on a farm. Some of these animals include a large pig, a couple of cows and a one-legged chicken. The film takes its audience on a journey while watching these animals doing various activities such as feeding, walking around, waking up in the morning and even having a long and deep sleep.
From the very beginning, I learned very quickly that this documentary was something unlike anything I have seen before. Firstly, there is no dialogue during this documentary’s runtime, and the film has been shot entirely in black and white. With no talking, the film makes its audience be still, silent and watch many moments that perhaps we would not usually stop to watch.
I felt the choice of black and white was unusual at first, but the more I watched the film, the more impressed I became with this choice and direction. Many moments contain great visuals, and at times this took me by surprise. These moments were captured wonderfully with smooth motion. I would call it cinematic art at its finest, thanks to the director Viktor Kosakovskiy.
The sound design is also pleasing. Even from the film’s opening, as we see a pig sleeping and starting to wake up, we hear every bit of detail, and nothing is left out of the audio mix. We hear the giant pig snoring, the baby pigs not far away, birds, tractors, wind, and the list goes on. The film also introduces a creative way to get its audiences up close and watching first-hand everything they do.
Overall, Gunda is quite a fascinating documentary that exceeded my expectations on many levels. It has been filmed with passion and patience and delivers many moments we wouldn’t usually stop to watch. The film is also rather artistic, thanks to a selection of Black and White visuals. As for the runtime, I enjoyed it personally, but granted, watching animals without any voice won’t be for everyone. In the end, please take my word for it; it’s undoubtedly worth your time to watch this documentary. Gunda (2020) is Now Available on DVD!
7.3/10
11th April 2021
Written by Peter Walkden
WALKDEN ENTERTAINMENT
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