The towers rising from the landscape of Southern France look like the remains of an ancient civilization. In fact, they are the work of contemporary German-born conceptual artist Anselm Kiefer, as viewed in the documentary “Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow,” directed by Sophie Fiennes, sister of actor Ralph.
Not a word is spoken during the first 20 minutes, as the camera glides through the mysterious tunnels and corridors of a derelict silk factory that Kiefer, now in his 60s, bought in 1993 and turned into a vast showplace and workshop for his monumental paintings and sculptures. Atonal music by modern composers Jorg Widmann and Gyorgy Ligeti set the mood, and you might at first feel that you are on the set of a surrealist movie.
Fiennes provides little context other than a dry interview with Kiefer by a German journalist. They discuss the creation of the universe and the role light plays in the artist’s work. Otherwise, viewers are left to their own devices, as the camera takes in the artwork and watches Kiefer and his assistants at work. Dialogue is limited to the artist’s instructions to his crew.
“Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow” — Fiennes’ follow-up to “The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema,” the 2006 doc featuring Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek — is a daunting work that will please movie lovers willing to invest their time and intellect. Now I look forward to Fiennes’ next project, a feature about Grace Jones.