What is Unspoken?
UNSPOKEN is the online journal for contemplative cinema, devoted to the promotion and exploration of this emergent aesthetic in contemporary global cinema. Informally grouped by films and filmmakers, contemplative cinema is chiefly recognizable in a series of undramatic traits such as: plotlessness, wordlessness, slowness, and minimalism. Unspoken aims to publish criticism that examines, explores and seeks theoretical understanding of developments within this cinematic terrain since the end of the XXth century. Indicative of contemplative cinema are the noted works by Béla Tarr, Pedro Costa, Tsai Ming-liang, Apitchatpong Weerasethakul, Jia Zhangke, Aleksandr Sokurov, Abbas Kiarostami, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Theo Angelopoulos, Chantal Akerman, and James Benning amongst many others. This project evolved from collective work based at Unspoken Cinema blog, since 2006.