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13 Lakes
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Wikipedia article
'13 Lakes' is a 2004 16mm film by American independent filmmaker James Benning. It is an instance of slow cinema, placing emphasis on introspection and contemplation.
In 2014, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Summary
The film is 135 minutes long and consists of 13 ten-minute static shots of lakes from throughout the United States. There is no conventional plot, characters or dialogue. The composition has been described as "symmetrical, minimalistic and repetitive", encouraging "sensory and sensuous engagement".
In several cases, boats can be seen and sounds such as waves, motors, bird calls, thunder and rain can be heard. Benning has said that he does not intend the work to be about environmentalism.
Lakes
According to the credits, the lakes are:
# Jackson Lake - Wyoming
# Moosehead Lake - Maine
# Salton Sea - California
# Lake Superior - bordered by Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin, & Michigan
# Lake Winnebago - Wisconsin
# Lake Okeechobee - Florida
# Lower Red Lake - Minnesota
# Lake Pontchartrain - Louisiana
# Great Salt Lake - Utah
# Lake Iliamna - Alaska
# Lake Powell - Utah & Arizona
# Crater Lake - Oregon
# Lake Oneida - New York
Legacy
The film was added to the US National Film Registry as a "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant film" in 2014.
References
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