Tënk's opinion

In “Home Suite”, using subjective camera shots, John Smith shows us round his home in East London shortly before his eviction and the demolition of the crumbling block of flats about to be sacrificed to make way for a new motorway. The dilapidated rooms and old junk in the house stir up memories and lead to tales told by Smith from behind his camera in a distant and ironic tone. It’s the art of endless digression (and infinite shooting too), the enchantment of an obsessive narration focusing on pointless details at the expense of the whole. Despite appearing monotonous, within the inner monologue lies a rich blend of genres. The director covers his tracks, digging up his own life like an archaeologist, and ends up constructing a true documentary character from the ruins of his existence: John Smith.

Federico Rossin
Cinema historian, independent programmer