Morning Prayer

I shot "Morning Prayer" very early morning during the praying session at Siem Reap Wat Bo pagoda. The film is very minimalist like my other films. I've got lost totally in the timelessness. Dogs "welcomed me from the first moment I entered the pagoda yard. I don't know who scared who but they were barking continuously and following me till the spot I set my camera. The monks didn't show interest to the barking. I was quite invisible in the dark but that doesn't mean, no one felt among the monks I am hiding out there. The spiritual power was very strong.

I know this film is quite long and dull, but worth to watch until the end. At the end of praying a monk step by step closed the shutters than everybody left the pagoda in front of my camera while were chit chatting in Khmer. The sun is slowly rises up and from the far distance a gong let us know that time to start the day. 

Click here to watch Morning Prayer a contemporary contemplative film

Tribute to Holocaust Victims of Nazism and Fascism on Tao-Films VoD

Tao-Films VoD is an online distributor service based in France and specializes in previously undistributed independent and art-house cinema, Contemporary Contemplative Cinema (CCC) "Slow Cinema". All the films are curated by Nadin Mai PhD.

For independent avantgard filmmakers like myself Tao-Films VoD is a great opportunity to show their films. Avantgardel filmmakers are often marginalized and underrepresented. Not ease to find platforms where talented but unknown or lesser known filmmakers are able to showcase their mostly "low or no budget" art-house films. Critics are never heard about their films because no festivals, cinemas, museums, TV channels gave opportunity for the creators as individual artists. "Slow Cinema" is boring, ergo neither arouse so much interest nor makes any profit. Typical 22 catch.

Today I would like to inform my readers that Two of my Holocaust related experimental contemplative short films are available on Tao-Films VoD from this week for a limited time for free. Previously I wrote an article about the two films and If you are interested please click here.

"Fear" was entirely filmed in Auschwitz I. and Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland and "Requiem for the Forgottens" in Budapest, Hungary. Both films pay tribute to the memory of the Holocaust Victims. Before you start to watch the films I suggest you to pump up the volume or use headphone and turn off the light, even close the shutter on the window. It takes only a few minutes from your life to watch these two films, but maybe can change your entire life.

If you think my films can arouse other people, critics, NGO, museum, festival, school, library, etc... interest, please let me know. I would appreciate if you can help to shout out and share my films on social media ( Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc... )

Please visit and watch great films from fellow filmmakers on Tao-Films VoD the only curated platform providing opportunity for underrepresented international avantgard filmmakers devoted to Contemporary Contemplative Cinema (CCC) "Slow Cinema".

Thank You!

IMDB Profile Janos Kis

Click on My IMDB member page provides info in a nutshell about me and an extended list of my favorite movies.

Writing synopsis

I just finished writing a synopsis actually the"first episode" of a trilogy. The scenes will contain minimal dialogue and/or narrative, slow acting and more visual. The stories in a nutshell: The first episode is about a man who lost his will to live after his family died in a car accident. The second episode is about the last day of an old painter and the third one is about a lonely disabled or blind woman and her dog.

Sunday of Zen submitted to film festsivals

I just submitted "SUNDAY OF ZEN" to different Film Festivals via #FilmFreeway! Though I did't really find any festivals the genre of my film typically fit, but  maybe a few jury members understand the meaning and have chance to be  selected at least for screening. The film is a homage to Abbas Kiarostami and represents the "contemporary contemplative cinema (CCC)" or as most of the people know "slow cinema". BUT even there's differences between CCC and such a kinda films as Sundays of Zen or my other films as well as Karma, Invasion, Ways, Everywhere, In Search of Lost Time or my first Holocaust film Requiem for the Forgottens. The Still Life is a bit different, because I was working with an "actress" or let say someone who were following my instructions, therefor this film a bit closer to the so called CCC.  The other above mentioned films I made it could be rather a sub-category of CCC and call "Devotional Cinema". These films are closer to Peter Hutton and James Benning styles though when I was developing my style I have't heard about these two great filmmakers. I was influenced the most by Chantal Akerman and Jonas Mekas. Usually I don't use fix shooting time as most of the filmmakers. I mean my films start at a certain point and finishing at an other certain point.

The lengths of time between the beginning and the end is an important element of my films but as a director I have to be patient and wait for the right moment to start and finish the film within one long take even if I work without "actors" on certain locations only with natural elements, birds, trains, trespassing people, etc...

That not means I don't cut the final starting and ending point in post production but the story must have a clear beginning, a middle and the end. Using small and medium size digital cameras are quite convenient and much cheaper than shooting on 8 mm, 16 mm or 35 mm, but the colors and the outlook of the film is totally different. I'm not the only one who simply can't afford shooting with film cameras but maybe in the future this can be changed as I have chance to direct more formal slow films.

Making of Sunday of Zen

Making of Sunday of Zen

And about the Sunday of Zen; it was an excellent occasion to shoot this experimental short film and capture a moment close-up from a shy and suspicious dove's daily life. It took weeks to observe patiently the behaviors of the birds (titmouse, pigeons, doves, magpies) living nearby our apartment. They seek shelter in the trees and regularly are coming to visit us for food and some water.

The outdoor traffic sounds, the passenger trains recedes in background all part of our rush of everyday life. We must stop for even short moments despite pressure from powerful forces around us trying to persuade us to take other paths. One day we all will be able to hear the chirping birds and understand the Zen of life. Some of you could ask why the title is Sunday of Zen, ...not only Zen?Here the "Sunday" is referring to Yasujiro Ozu.