简介：Intheopeningsequence,agirlreadsthedirector’sTarotcardsthatwillnamethesubjectofhisfilm:“yourrelationshipwithtime”.Butwhatelse?Thereareonlytwopitfallstoguardagainstwhenkeepingapersonaldiary,eitherwrittenorfilmed:narcissisticcomplacency–“thestrangeconvictionthatonecanobserveoneselfandthatonemustknowoneself”(Blanchot)–andtheimprecisecollectionofvagueimpressions.Thatbeingso,inbothcases,thelowliestandmostbanaldimensionoftimeisthatitjustgoesby.TheessentialbeautyofGhostStrataliesinitscommitmenttothediaryformbutwithacompletelydifferentexaminationoftime:specifictocinema,inthewayinwhichfilmmakerBenRiversconfrontsitsmystery,itspower…Whatstrataoftimedoeshaunttheimage;whatnon-linearformsanddimensionsoftimedoestheimagereveal?Riversdelvesintotheenigmabyarrangingasuccessionoffilmfragmentscollectedmonthaftermonthforayear.Hogarth’spaintingsdetailedbyabeamoftorchlight,themovementofbirdsinthemistyair,thefacesofamanandawomanmadeupasaprehistoriccouple:amobilecameraexaminesandexploreswhatisvisible,attentivetothesignsoftheghoststratathathauntpersonalexperience.FromafragmentofPessoa’swritingtotheamusedreadingofaGreekguidebook,Riversgrindsupanddistilsthemostdisparatematerialinhiseditinglaboratory.ThereisnothingseriousandformalinthisinvestigationintoChronosandhisenigmas:thediaryturnsouttobethesimpledisciplineofaplayfulandtinkeringappetiteforthesubstancesoftheimageandtheenergiestheyretain.(C.N.)…