Name: Maidan
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2014-06-05
Duration: 2 h 14 min
Rating: 6.6

Maidan is a film committed to three principles: 1) Slow cinema / long takes 2) Direct cinema 3) A historic documentarian mindset

It succeeds on all three counts.

1) The eleven scenes that compose this film go beyond explaining an event. They allow the committed viewer to immerse themselves into a key moment in contemporary history.

2) The film stays true to its minimalistic vision. No narration, only the absolutely essential context information is shared in written slides between scenes. This can be frustrating to those desiring an easy-to-follow narrative, but other documentaries offer that. This is a different proposition. It rewards those who do the work of observing and researching.

3) The camera has allowed us to record recent history like never before. Director Sergei Loznitsa takes this seriously. His discreet stationary camera is there very much like a silent witness, often unnoticed.

Maidan is not a fun film. It is hard work, a demanding proposition for a generation used to 30 second clips (if that). And because of this, the reward goes way beyond a micro jolt of dopamine. If one devotes a couple hours to this film they'll come out understanding a little more about history, justice and freedom.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

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Maidan

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