Long Day's Journey Into Night // The Time Image

Bi Gan, 2018, 138 mins

In Bi Gan’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, a man returns to his hometown, searching for a lost love. The first half is fragmented & elusive before giving way to a remarkable 59-minute single take. A beautiful example of Gilles Deleuze's concept of the time image & his idea of the “dream image"

The Time Image celebrates narrative deconstruction and alternative approaches to filmmaking, showcasing independent and guerrilla-style cinema that challenges conventional storytelling.

Named after French philosopher Gilles Deleuze's concept of the "time image," the series draws from his distinction between two modes of cinema. While the "movement image" propels viewers through cause-and-effect narratives where action drives the story forward, the "time image" asks viewers to dwell in moments, experience duration directly, and engage with memory, contemplation, and the gaps between events. In time image films, characters often observe rather than act, and meaning emerges through temporal layering rather than plot progression.

Previously known as Mumblecore Madness, the series has been reframed through Deleuze's philosophical lens. While "mumblecore" suggested a specific aesthetic, The Time Image better captures our broader focus.

Featuring selections from various countries and eras, The Time Image invites audiences to embrace cinema that resists easy resolution and celebrates the richness of human connection.

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Host or Publisher Stray Cat Film Center