This is an extract from Bordwell and Thompson’s Film Art An Introduction. It is where they write about what they call ‘nonnarrative’. The section immediately after discusses experimental film. This is relevant to us as it helps with some context (historical and ideas) about how films can do different things to just ‘narrate’. An idea that we are playing with in the studio is what can film do if it doesn’t tell stories? (And how can we make sense of the world by not using stories?) This doesn’t answer that question, but gives you some of what in other parts of the thinking world we call a ‘pattern language’ to think about how to make, and make sense of, films that aren’t driven by character. Please read. (PDF – you’ll need your RMIT login)