A Wonderfully Contemplative Visual Poem That Explores the Art of Simply Doing Nothing

Video essayist Alastair created a wonderfully contemplative visual poem that explores the art of doing nothing – just slowing down and finding beauty in the stillness. He looked at how this type stillness is portrayed in art, using the 1995 film Before Sunrise as the perfect example, as it took its time to tell the story without having to fill each scene with action.

The pacing of that movie mirrors these real life moments. The camera doesn’t cut away when characters pause to think. It doesn’t fill every silence with music or action. It’s confident enough to let moments breathe, to show someone just existing for a while.

He also differentiates stillness from boredom, noting how one is active and the other is passive.

Boredom wants to be filled. It’s restless, dissatisfied, looking for something to consume. Stillness is different. Stillness is content to exist without needing to be entertained or improved or directed toward any particular outcome.