Voir, a six-part series of visual essays exploring the art of filmmaking, premiered on Netflix on Tuesday. The series, as told by various industry figures, is executive produced by filmmakers David Fincher and David Prior.
The series explores how cinema has affected the lives of the show’s narrators, through short video essays. Several directors and writers have been employed to produce these video essays, which also feature clips from the films that are being discussed.
Voir marks yet another collaboration with Netflix for Fincher after the 2020 film, Mank, starring Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried. The film had won Oscars for Best Achievement in Production Design and Best Achievement in Cinematography.
Here is Netflix’s rundown of the six episodes of Voir and what can be expected of them:
1. Summer Of The Shark
This episode is narrated by blogger Sasha Stone. It’s 1975 and a new film called Jaws is both enrapturing and terrifying theatregoers across the US. Stone’s obsession with filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s classic has become intrinsically tied with her childhood.
2. The Ethics Of Revenge
In this episode, editor and writer Tony Zhou breaks down the elements of the greatest tales of vengeance brought to screen, from Lady Vengeance to Goodfellas.
3. But I Don’t Like Him
Reflecting on his favourite film, in this episode, film critic Drew McWeeny contemplates on why we often find irredeemable, immoral, and unlikeable protagonists so compelling.
4. The Duality Of Appeal
Animators explain designing animated characters and what constitutes visual appeal, and how it speaks to our sensibilities. They speak about how deceptively simple choices in shape and movement can communicate infinitely complex emotions.
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5. Film Vs Television
Writer and animator Taylor Ramos explores the changes that have caused the line between film and television to blur and how episodic storytelling has transformed over the years, becoming as extravagant and cinematic as the narratives told on the big screen.
6. Profane And Profound
In this episode, film critic Walter Chaw reflects on finding unexpected profundity in Walter Hill’s 1982 action comedy 48 Hrs, which depicted racial conflict with surprising complexity.