Christina Friedrich explores dreams, nightmares, and visions of the future in her documentary, The Night Is Darker and Colder Than The Day. Friedrich visits a public school in her hometown, Nordhausen; her mission is to learn about fears through the eyes of the children. The film goes through the children’s fears, nightmares, and dreams. Many of them fear being alone, losing their loved ones, heights, and spiders. Some of them have extreme fears, like the threat of World War III. The dream aspect varies from spiritualism to the power of imagination. A recurring element is shapeshifting, as the children envision themselves as animals. Friedrich has the children explore their dreams in fascinating ways.
Throughout this trippy documentary, the subjects dress up as animals and recreate their dreams. Others observe their surroundings, dance, and act out their emotions. The film becomes a psychological exploration and embraces a surrealistic atmosphere as the children problem solve their subconscious thoughts. Friedrich’s documentary asks an important question: can children overcome their fears?
“…Friedrich explores children’s dreams, nightmares, and visions of the future…”
The Night Is Darker and Colder Than The Day is a slow burn into a child’s imagination. Watching children express their thoughts is a major eye opener to just how cynical the world has gotten over the years. Many of the children remain optimistic, and others react as if they are depressed teenagers. There are moments of hope as a young boy expresses his vision of living in a future with flying cars, and another child tells us his desire to be a farmer. These are wonderful scenes, and it makes one hopeful for the next generation!
From a production standpoint, Jacob Suske’s score is reminiscent of white noise. This stylistic element works well with Friedrich’s introspective film-making as it has a calming sound. Emma Lena Weber’s cinematography plays well into the documentary’s fairy tale motif as the Germanic woods alternate between a pagan Eden and a foreboding environment. The costuming and animal masks have a homemade quality to them, which compliments Friedrich’s naturalistic whimsy.
The Night Is Darker and Colder Than The Day is a fascinating look into the creative minds of children. For audiences, this is a chance to get in tune with their inner child for an uncanny experience.
"…fascinating..."
