Make time for Making Time if you're intrigued by the meticulous art of horology, at VIFF Centre to July 6
Life stories and lingering shots of a craft that falls somewhere between engineering, art, history—and possibly obsession
Making Time screens at VIFF Centre on June 30 and July 1, 4, and 6
THE NEW DOCUMENTARY Making Time makes poetry out of the slow, exacting process of crafting fine watches out of gears, wheels, and springs so tiny that horologists have to wield tweasers and magnifying glasses.
And, perhaps fittingly, American director Liz Unna’s film takes its time, much like the eclectic assortment of horologists it profiles here. For those willing to leave the rush of life behind and commit to its rhythms, it’s a sometimes astonishing look at a rare art.
The camera lingers on tiny details of a craft that falls somewhere between engineering, art, history—and possibly obsession. But Unna is also deeply interested in the life stories that brought each of these horologists to an eccentric craft—one that requires putting together hundreds of miniscule components over many weeks. One romantic calls horology the “history of humanity”; another recounts trying to find order after a childhood of family chaos.
The highlights of the film, especially for fans of watches and design, are the mavericks who are upending the centuries-old craft, whether it’s with an Upside Down watch that flips numbers upward and downward as the minutes click to a double-barrelled wrist watch that resembles plane engines.
Yes, there are a lot of extended, gauzy shots of glittering piles of teensy-weensy metal pieces and hands carefully tweasing gears into place. But for the curious and unrushed, this is a fascinating 80 minutes where time really does seem to slow down.
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