Anselm Kiefer is a German-born artist who lives in France. In 1993, on an 85-acre site near Barjac, in southern France, he began creating his own little universe, filled with buildings, statues, monuments, underground galleries and corridors and dozens of pieces of the art that marks, maybe defines, his life.
"Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow," a phrase from the Biblical prophet Isiah, is a fascinating documentary film about his construction, which he either finished or abandoned to move to Paris. The film was directed by Sophia Victoria Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, the sister of actors Ralph and Joseph; her film credit is simply Sophie Fiennes.
She follows Kiefer through his tunnels, up his ladders, watches as cranes pile building blocks on other building blocks, like a grown-up kid whose toys now are too large for him to move with his hands. He and some associates toss sheets of glass around a room, step on it to break it down more finely. They use concrete, acid, whitewash, fire, straw, ashes, all sorts of material to create a world that is sometimes beautiful, sometimes frightening, sometimes beyond understanding.
Fiennes doesn't analyze, doesn't explain. We listen as Kiefer is interviewed by Klaus Dermutz, a German journalist, in a long, narrow room where bookshelves line the walls. He talks about Martin Heidegger, describes boredom as proving "the consciousness of existence," and points out that "scientific theories show us we know nothing."
Kiefer has apparently abandoned Barjac, not saying whether he has left a finished work or a lot of trash, but Fiennes' interesting film preserves what there is, exposes it to people as curious as we are and waits for Isiah's remark to come true, which it probably will. Some day.
Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow, part of the Webster University Film Series, will play at 7:30 p.m. today through Sunday in the Winifred Moore Auditorium
— Jo