10 FILMS FEATURING THE BEAUTY OF ILLUSIONS NOW

Illusion is inherent in film. Whether it’s a documentary or a narrative, whether it’s a drama or a thriller or a comedy, what you see and hear is conjured and produced. Some films and videos aim to heighten illusion. We’ve gathered 10 beautiful new films/videos that have our imaginations all a flutter. Check them out below.

1. LIONSONG - BJÖRK -- INEZ AND VINOODH

Björk creates beautiful illusions in Lionsong, her new video from the recently released Vulnicura, directed by Inez and Vinoodh. The Icelandic singer-songwriter becomes a fantasy lion in a glorious feathered costume and, literally, bares her beautiful heart, as she invites us into her world to experience her vulnerability and pain.

2. THE ASSASSIN -- HOU HSIAO HSIEN

The Assassin is a martial arts movie like no other. Its beautiful imagery, thanks to Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien, is filled with swishing swords, impeccable costume design, gorgeous landscapes, and a sense of surreal dreaminess that envelops you into into its illusion-filled, abstract plot. The best way to take it all in is to let oneself go and be swept up by its majesty.

3. JAUJA -- LISANDRO ALONSO

A captain, played by Viggo Mortensen, goes into hostile territory to find his enamored runaway daughter, in Jauja, a new film by director Lisandro Alonso. The landscapes are extraordinarily beautiful, the imagery haunting, and the story is never ever to be trusted.

Are we going through someone’s dreamlike state or are we watching the real thing? Answers are given to us through the illusive eyes of a wandering girl.

4. WORLD OF TOMORROW -- DON HERTZFELDT

Written and directed by Don Hertzfeldt, Oscar-Nominated sci-fi short film World Of Tomorrow,  explores questions about the illusion of youth, as it takes a young girl on a voyage into her future. Beautifully conceived and rendered stick figure animation tells the story in a simple yet powerful way.

5. HEART OF A DOG -- LAURIE ANDERSON

Love and death have ways of both creating and dispelling illusion. After losing her husband (Lou Reed, her mother, and Lolabelle, her beloved dog, all within a short period of time, artist, musician, poet, and filmmaker Laurie Anderson weighed in on this dichotomy in her new film, Heart Of A Dog. She relates her experiences with dream-state imagery and an incredible soundtrack.  

6. GLASS & PATRON -- FKA TWIGS

Surreal, trippy, and gorgeous, Glass Patron, a new music video, by singer FKA twigs, is a journey full of illusion. The beautiful singer songwriter conceived, directed, and performed in the piece with stunning originality.  

FKA twigs gives birth to herself as well as a bevy of dancers who swirl around, creating mysterious layers of story and color in what critics have called "the most epic vogue battle of all time."

7. THE MAGICIAN -- DAE-SEUNG KIM

A magical reality unfolds during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, when the beloved monarchal princess travels to the Qing for an arranged, but well received marriage. However, on that epic journey she meets and falls in love with a magician. The two embark on a mystical love affair. Directed by Dae-seung Kim, The Magician, like many others on this list, is much more than meets the eye.

8. SANJAY’S SUPER TEAM -- SANJAY PATEL

A young, fairly bored, Indian boy imagines that the gods his parents worship, but as are superheroes in Sanjay’s Super Team, a beautiful new Oscar nominated film by director Sanjay Patel.  

9. THE WOLFPACK -- CRYSTAL MOSELLE

The Angulo family is living in their own reality -- an illusion of happy family life, created by the father, a psychotic megalomaniac agoraphobe in The Wolfpack, a new documentary by filmmaker Crystal Moselle. No one, but the father, is ever allowed to leave the house…. ever. The 7 kids are homeschooled, and for entertainment, all they can do is watch movies on video day in and day out.

Despite the freakiness of their life, the kids cope by creating their own fantasy worlds, recreating scenes from their favorite movies, with elaborate costumes that they create themselves out of items they find around their apartment.  

They live in a world of illusion as a way to escape the grim reality of their lives. And together they triumph.

10. THE WALK -- ROBERT ZEMECKIS

In Robert Zemeckis’ new film, The Walk, we get to see one of the  most stunning digital illusions ever put on celluloid. You will believe that you are watching documentary footage of French high wire artist Philippe Petit as he walks a tightrope between the two World Trade. What’s real is that Zemeckis and his team pulled off a brilliant reenactment.

The illusion is so convincing that It’s as if you’re actually there with Petit every step of the way as he walks that fine line between life and death.

Read more about Beautiful Illusions, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Inez and Vinoodh. Courtesy of Björk. Lionsong from Vulnicura by Björk.
2. Image: by Inez and Vinoodh. Courtesy of Björk. Lionsong from Vulnicura by Björk.
3. Image: Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment. The Assassin.
4. Image: Courtesy of The Cinema Guild. Jauja.
5. Image: Courtesy of Bitter Films. World Of Tomorrow.
6. Image: Courtesy of Laurie Anderson. Heart Of A Dog.
7. Image: Courtesy of FKA twigs. Glass & Patron.
8. Image: Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment. The Magician.
9. Image: Courtesy of Disney Pixar. Sanjay’s Super Team
10. Image: Courtesy of The Wolf Pack Film. The Wolfpack.
11. Image: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. The Walk.
12. Image: by Inez and Vinoodh. Courtesy of Björk. Lionsong from Vulnicura by Björk.
13. Image: Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment. The Magician.
14. Image: by BN App - Download now!
15. Image: Courtesy of The Wolf Pack Film. The Wolfpack.