Lo-Fi Landscapes

I usually hate to look at digital video, as it’s a particularly ugly medium. But in Lo-Fi Landscapes, I found it beautiful and enthralling, because here, it’s used precisely for its limits. This is a collection of short films about various parts of North America. The first short, Mountain State, uses roadside historical markers as a means of telling the story of America’s westward progression, and is compelling, except for the overly solemn and standard documentary voiceover tone of the narrator. More completely successful is the second film, Land Marked/Marquette, which eschews the silly voiceovers for a much quieter and more haunting look at Chicago’s history of immigration. Don’t mind the seemingly educational topics: Lo-Fi Landscapes is actually just good filmmaking, with a deliberately slow and restful feel that is entirely absorbing.