Rivers and Tides - Daily Doc

He spends hours building art out of rocks, leaves, sticks, ice, and sheep’s wool. Then stands back and watches the tide destroy it.

Thanks to Nancy Jong for putting this one on our radar.

Trailer for “Rivers and Tides”

One of the best sequences has Goldsworthy stacking thin pieces of stone into one of his signature egg-shaped cairns on a beach. The stones are balanced without mortar. The whole thing collapses more than once, and you can see how crushed he is each time.
In freezing weather, he joins pieces of icicle together using water, his hands, and even his mouth to shape the ice. The rising sun finally lights the sculpture from inside, and that same sun immediately starts melting it.

You can currently find “Rivers and Tides” on Philo, Prime, and several other streaming services. Check the latest options at JustWatch.

Ratings:

Director’s Note: Thomas Riedelsheimer directed, shot, wrote, and edited this 90-minute documentary.

Release Date: April 2001

He uses crushed red, iron-rich stone to release intense color into water. The red spreads through currents and whirlpools almost like blood moving through a body.
The documentary eventually grossed more than $2 million in the U.S. and Canada, which is pretty remarkable for a 90-minute art film with no conventional plot and very little manufactured drama.

Wrap Up:

I liked “Rivers and Tides” because it makes you start looking at leaves, sticks, rivers, and stones a little differently.

Thanks for reading!

Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc