Angel's Gate (1989)

Writes Viola: "A succession of individual images focusing on mortality, decay and disintegration, are delineated by long, slow fades to black. The image sequences — fruit falling from a tree, a candle being extinguished, a family having a flash photograph taken — appear as a series of openings or momentary glimpses into nature's essential gestures which, like thoughts, are destined to fade and themselves disintegrate into obscurity and oblivion. Peak moments illuminate the dim confines of memory and forgetting with a kind of universal light, as a baby emerges into the world before our eyes, and the camera-eye moves along a dark concrete tunnel towards the rigid steel bars of a locked gate, where it finally passes through and out into the bright world, liberated by the consuming, saturated white light of its own overexposure."

Director: Bill Viola
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 5 min
Release Date:

Screenplay

Cinematography: Bill Viola
Editing: Bill Viola
Country: United States of America
Language: No Language
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Bill Viola
More Films in Genre: Documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Angel's Gate about?
Writes Viola: "A succession of individual images focusing on mortality, decay and disintegration, are delineated by long, slow fades to black. The image sequences — fruit falling from a tree, a candle being extinguished, a family having a flash photograph taken — appear as a series of openings or momentary glimpses into nature's essential gestures which, like thoughts, are destined to fade and themselves disintegrate into obscurity and oblivion. Peak moments illuminate the dim confines of memory and forgetting with a kind of universal light, as a baby emerges into the world before our eyes, and the camera-eye moves along a dark concrete tunnel towards the rigid steel bars of a locked gate, where it finally passes through and out into the bright world, liberated by the consuming, saturated white light of its own overexposure."
Who directed Angel's Gate?
Angel's Gate was directed by Bill Viola.
How long is Angel's Gate?
Angel's Gate has a runtime of 5m (5 minutes).
What genre is Angel's Gate?
Angel's Gate is a Documentary film.
Where was Angel's Gate produced?
Angel's Gate was produced in United States of America.