Lift

Recently, director Mark Isaacs created the short film ‘Lift’ in which he set up a camera, and himself, in a lift in a tower block in London. He then set out to film the users of the lift, who, as he was there so long, became to trust, befriend and confide in him. Some regulars react with fondness, others simply refuse to acknowledge he is there.
This is an interesting idea, similar to the concept of street photography but different in that the director is immediately connected with what goes on in the film. For example, he interacts with the life users and is not just a ‘fly on the wall’, asking them particular questions and steering them to talk about various issues. This, of course, makes for interesting viewing. Some participants, however, need no steering. It is interesting to watch the different personalities and reactions, some funny and some slightly heartbreaking. Preconceptions of characters upon first seeing them use the lift are often changed by the end of it, looking at the kind of people that live in this particular place and the prejudice that might tag onto them.
I think the concept of filming from a particular stationary location is a good one, it leaves scope for things to develop in front of the eyes of the viewer and is somewhat spontaneous, a reflection of the area as well as a look at interaction with strangers and even saying something about class, religion, life and death. It is fascinating that all of these ideas can come from a film-maker doing something as simple as sitting in a lift, showing the concentration of different life, ideas, people in any one location.
I think, overall, this is a simple and well executed example of an unconventional short documentary, and something along the lines of what I want to achieve with my short.

You can see that here.