Leaning Into The Wind

Leaning Into The Wind is a captivating film from 2017, the central focus of which is renowned Scottish artist, Andy Goldsworthy, and his daughter, Holly Goldsworthy. This thoughtfully directed film by Thomas Riedelsheimer expands on his previous work with Andy in the much-celebrated documentary, Rivers and Tides. In Leaning Into The Wind, Riedelsheimer reunites with Goldsworthy to shape a beautifully immersive and exquisitely filmed narrative. The movie delves into the artist's prolific career even deeper, offering surprising insights into his mind-blowing creations and astounding approach towards nature.

In its expansiveness, the film pairs the life of Goldsworthy with his art, demonstrating how the two panoramas overlap and intermingle. Andy Goldsworthy is renown for his unique visionary practice of creating sculptures and land art situated in natural and urban settings. These audacious creations are made from materials and elements sourced on-site: ranging from twigs, leaves, stones, snow, to even the artist’s own body, underscoring an overarching theme of impermanence and transience.

A considerable portion of Leaning Into The Wind is spent in the beautiful, open outdoors where nature is a centrepiece. Watch the Goldsworthys as they journey through awe-inspiring landscapes, glistening with greens, golds, and earthy hues. Their journey takes them through diverse locations- from the rural Scottish areas to the urban byways of San Francisco to the tropical paradises in Brazil, all while engaging in elaborate, nature-oriented art.projects.

The narrative rhythm of the film is engagingly paced, balancing beautifully photographed vistas of outdoor settings with sweeping camera shots that capture Goldsworthy as he goes through his unique creative process. With minimal dialogue, the documentary's storytelling largely relies on visual narration, with moments of silence that offer audiences space to absorb and reflect. There are moments where the camera patiently follows as Goldsworthy manipulates ice, stones, branches, and various natural elements, often using his hands as his primary tools. The movie has a magical way of showing the imperceptible interaction between the artist and the elemental materials.

The film also presents the Goldworthys as they engage with the environments they travel through, from expansive landscapes to intimate spaces. These scenes offer glimpses of the often humorous, sometimes poignant, and always passionate relationship between father and daughter. Holly Goldsworthy, who has followed her father's paths, emerges as an engaging figure herself, their interaction illuminating the familial bond built and nurtured around their shared artistry.

In contrast to many other artist-centered documentaries, Leaning Into The Wind does more than merely elucidate Goldsworthy’s art to its audience: it successfully steps into the mind of the artist, providing viewers an opportunity to not only witness the workings of his creative process but also experience a spectrum of emotions, the hills and valleys of his thinking process, and the passionately driven philosophy behind his work.

Goldsworthy's gravity-defying, though often ephemeral, sculptures capture the fleeting nature of beauty, life, and even time. This film underscores and reverberates those themes in a sensitive, subtle manner. Strikingly, the movie, much like Goldsworthy's art itself, leans into the unpredictability of nature, its unpredictable weather patterns and shifting landscapes, embodying an almost meditative quality.

Seen against the artist’s statement that "we often forget that we are nature", the movie adopts Goldsworthy's philosophy reflective and immersive. Leaning into the Wind becomes a character study of the artist and his unique philosophy: understanding the world in its elemental form, exploring the concept of 'pure life', and intensely experiencing the world around us. Riedelsheimer’s awe-inspiring cinematography style complements this exploration beautifully, making this documentary an evocative canvas of inspiring images.

The film resonates as an exploration of art, nature, and the interconnectedness of the two. Ultimately, Leaning Into The Wind is a celebration of impermanence, of the beauty in the ephemeral, and a deeply moving portrayal of the creative process. It allows audiences to understand the unique narrative form of its subject, encountering the world beside him, redefining our relationship with nature, and inspiring us to witness the world through the curious eyes of an artist.