A review of 'Love is All', by film maker Kim Longinotto
Love is the jack-in-the-box of feelings that tests the boundaries and barriers of social norms. It has the power to disrupt life with the unexpected. Love redraws the thresholds of race, gender, religion and class in ways that constantly liberate our understanding of the world. But we rarely listen to its story closely enough. We fail to appreciate that love is far deeper than just another romance. Love is an essential act of being, something as humanity-defining as any historical triumph. There is a love waiting to be cherished in everything.
In ‘Love is All’, Kim Longinotto entrances her audience with a 75 minute collage exploring 20th century love through the BFI archives and other sources. Her poetic documentary captures the innate qualities of love’s playfulness across different generations - the movement, joy, subversion, freedom, risk, and above all the celebration of an emotion that reveals our true identity. Through a series of connecting motifs, ‘Love is All’ takes us on a rich visual and musical journey (with soundtrack by Richard Hawley of Pulp fame) that connects different types of love through defining moments of drama. Like a bridal gown blowing in the wind on a gusty day that won’t stay still for the camera, love shows its character as a restless energy that will not be contained or restricted. From dancers to ice skaters to fairground riders to an early women’s football team, Love seems to be constantly on the move, affirming itself through simple gestures of human spirit often in rebellion to their times. Love becomes the mirror to the future in our past; the greatest of innovators.
The film closes with a memorable juxtaposition of imagery and sound celebrating the end of war and the first same-sex-marriage in London. Love is political because love is vital to who we are. ‘Love is All’ reminds us that love is what we have always been looking for.
Whatever challenges we face today, it's worth reminding ourselves to ask the question: what would love do?
‘Love is All’ is available on BBC iplayer until 24th March
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