IMPATIENCE

by Charles DEKEUKELEIRE
1928 / 35mm / b&w / silent / 36' 20

"(...) I contemplated creating this journey—both plastic, psychological, and poetic—in a personal form, eminently modern and... within my means. Hence, the idea of a motorcycle ride, which, as you understand, was for me a rich dynamic possibility." — Charles Dekeukeleire

An introductory title card informs the viewer that the film will consist of four series of images: "The motorcycle, the woman, the mountain, and abstract blocks." From these elements, Dekeukeleire constructs his film according to precise parameters. The rhythm is dictated by a mathematical fragmentation of time segments. The four sets of images follow one another in every possible combination, without ever considering a melodic line or dramatic buildup. Alongside this exploration of shot succession, there is a focus on the scale of shots and the content of the image: Impatience is built on close-ups and the fragmentation of the image, which abstracts what is shown, giving it a function close to pure abstraction. This film is one of those that, rejecting any emotional seduction or aesthetic fascination, went the furthest in the pursuit of pure and fundamental research.

“The film, which lasts over half an hour, presents a succession of rigorously rhythmic shots: landscapes, close-up details of the motorcycle, abstract figures, and images of the naked body of the female rider, all in a game of meticulously calculated durations. Dekeukeleire sought to give meaning to images that are almost unreal in their starkness and abstraction. In presenting his film, he added that the viewer’s gaze must adapt, glide along the film to feel above all the things, the slow-motions, the revolts, the spasms, the contractions produced by fragments whose lengths vary between one and six hundred images." — Henri Storck

"Impatience stands as an experimental film resolutely outside its own time and the avant-gardes contemporary to it. Its remarkable aesthetic makes Dekeukeleire a historically fascinating filmmaker for many." — Mathilde Lejeune

The restoration of Impatience (1928) by Charles Dekeukeleire, carried out by the Royal Belgian Film Archive (CINEMATEK) in 2025, was made possible thanks to the support of Belspo – the Belgian Science Policy Office and the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, as well as the support of players of the National Lottery.
The restoration work was completed using the original 35mm negative preserved in the collections of the Royal Belgian Film Archive, where the film was digitized in 2K resolution.

2 PRINTS IN DISTRIBUTION


distribution format DCP on server (SMPTE 2K)
screen 1,33
speed 25 fps
sound sound
rental fee 137,00 €

distribution format Digital file on server (FHD)
screen 1,33
speed 24 fps
sound sound
rental fee 137,00 €