Topology of Sirens (2021) - Jonathan Davies

​Mini Cassette Tapes maybe not as cool as microfilm but alas, Topology of Sirens is an astounding debut feature. A low-key mystery of existential relevancy, Topology of Sirens is an incredibly assured, downright transcendental experience in which a rich visual and auditory tableau is on full display. Temporality is eschewed, not just structurally, but through visual and auditory assemblages that evoke a sense of ethereality. Moments whether learned or experienced feel conjoined perhaps due more so than anything to this film's utterly entrancing sound design. Aesthetically, Los Angeles has never felt lusher to me in a film, the sun's omnipresence is textured and assertful in every exterior shot. The cinematography - the use of lighting, composition, etc - evinces the omnipresent beauty and power of the natural world. This personal journey is not merely point-a to point-b discovery but one that ultimately feels ontological. I'm struggling to put this into words - it has a great sense of affect and how it is a reciprocal force beyond what we materially understand.