OSMOSE (France) 
★★★★½
Directed by Eva Motreff

   In Eva Motreff's mesmerising "Osmose" (2024), we witness the sublime convergence of corporeal presence and geological timelessness, as a solitary figure navigates the liminal space between day and night in a lunar landscape that echoes the stark terrains of Zabriskie Point (1970, Michelangelo Antonioni). The film's choreographic poetry recalls the metaphysical explorations of Maya Deren's "A Study in Choreography for Camera" (1945), yet Motreff transcends mere homage to craft something uniquely contemporary, speaking to our modern alienation and search for connection in an increasingly fractured world.
   The film's phenomenological approach to movement, masterfully embodied by dancer Tao Zhang, evokes what philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty termed the 'flesh of the world'—the inexorable entanglement of perceiver and perceived. The direction of movements of Motreff and the dancer Zhang, reminiscent of both Tai Chi's meditative flow and the grounded expressionism of Pina Bausch, transforms the barren landscape into a partner in an intimate pas de deux. This dialogue between body and environment calls to mind the ecological dreaming of "Sun & Sea" (2019, Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė), whilst pushing beyond into newer territory that explores the very essence of human fragility in the face of geological permanence.
   As day yields to night, Motreff orchestrates a remarkable transition that owes as much to JakoJako's ethereal score as it does to Jianhua Ma's exquisite cinematography. The camera work particularly excels in its ability to capture what Jung might have termed the 'synchronicity' between internal and external landscapes—a visual meditation that shares spiritual DNA with Alejandro Jodorowsky's "The Holy Mountain" (1973) while establishing its own distinct visual grammar. The way Zhang's body seems to be guided by invisible currents of air creates a haunting metaphor for the invisible forces that shape our psychological existence.
   The film's pivotal sequence, where Zhang encounters and caresses the mountainside, transcends mere choreography to become a profound commentary on human existence. This tactile communion with the ancient rock face evokes the Sisyphean struggle detailed in Camus' philosophical writings, yet offers a gentler, more harmonious resolution. In an era where environmental anxiety and existential dread permeate our collective consciousness, Motreff's vision suggests a way forward through embodied connection rather than technological solution, calling to mind the ecological meditations of "All the Beauty and the Bloodshed" (2022, Laura Poitras).
   "Osmose" ultimately emerges as a masterwork of contemporary experimental cinema, one that deftly weaves together threads of phenomenology, environmental philosophy, and somatic experience. In just five minutes, Motreff manages to create what feels like an epic meditation on human fragility and resilience. For a debut installation film, this represents an extraordinary achievement that positions Motreff as an important voice in contemporary cinema. The film's power lies not just in its technical excellence, but in its ability to remind us of our own delicate position within the vast tapestry of existence—a reminder that feels increasingly crucial in our precarious times.

• Reviewed by Adrián Pérez Ffor Lonely Wolf Critique Journal