“From a ‘bridge to nowhere’ to a bridge that changed the country, these magnificent structures have a story to tell, and if you listen closely you can hear it over the noise of the traffic.”

America stands at a crossroads. Or perhaps it’s better to say on the precipice of a chasm. A chasm between ‘us’ and ‘them’, and it’s close to having to decide whether to build bridges or burn them. Metaphorical bridges, of course, but in the work of James Benning the real is often the metaphor. And it is no different in Eight Bridges, his latest look at America through the lens of still life, which is comprised of eight 10-minute shots of, well, bridges. All of them iconic, and all of them built to connect people and bring economic prosperity one way or the other, but some have a little more history than that. From a ‘bridge to nowhere’ to a bridge that changed the country, these magnificent structures have a story to tell, and if you listen closely you can hear it over the noise of the traffic.

Some of Benning’s bridges are simply American landmarks, pivotal in connecting communities and driving the economy up. The Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge, the Astoria-Megler Bridge, and Florida’s iconic Seven Mile Bridge are marvels of engineering, but have very little history attached to them. With its high rate of suicide the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge brings an added sadness, and its nickname ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ carries a somber undertone because of it. But others have a little more backstory to them. Say San Francisco, and people picture the Golden Gate Bridge. Built during the Great Depression, it was a symbol of hope for a more prosperous future. Or take New York’s George Washington Bridge, which connects two places, Fort Lee and Fort Washington, that were important for the defense of New York during the American Revolution. The Hi-Line RR, the only railroad bridge featured, played a pivotal role in the transport of men and material during both World Wars. But the most important for American history is without a doubt the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. An unassuming structure, it was here that in March of 1965 a peaceful march of civil rights activists (including Martin Luther King, Jr.) to the state’s capital Montgomery suffered a violent attack by armed police in an incident dubbed ‘Bloody Sunday’. It became one of the turning points in the fight for equal rights for black people in America, and the events played a central role in Ava DuVernay’s Selma.

Some of the other bridges have also been immortalized in cinema, ranging from films such as The Goonies to Natural Born Killers, and from Twins to True Lies. Oddly enough, several of them star Arnold Schwarzenegger (Kindergarten Cop is another one); maybe Arnie is a fan of bridges. But whether they are caught on film or not (the Golden Gate Bridge probably has too many appearances to count), each of these is instantly recognizable. Which helps Eight Bridges, because Benning gives us little more than ten minutes of each, in static shots without commentary, unless we count the incessant noise of traffic. But the octogenarian’s work is meant for contemplation and observation. One can think about a bridge’s history, but also simply admire the construction, or perhaps wonder where the people in those cars are going, although people are rarely seen in the film; a few men fishing in Southern Florida or a pedestrian crossing the Rio Grande is all you get. There are probably more boats than people in the film; bridges cross a body of water, so pleasure boats and large barges are inevitable. They break up the monotony of the image, as does an unexpected helicopter in the Keys, or a train in Mississippi. Benning’s films are an exercise in perception; the longer you look, the more you notice, but it requires patience.

Eight Bridges had its premiere in Berlin, and on the festival’s website Benning simply stated, “It seems to be the time to consider bridges“. Since Benning’s recent work has become more overtly political, it is clear that he isn’t thinking of just the actual physical structures. With the bridges portrayed in the film, which have all propelled America forward in one way or the other, it is fair to say that Benning sees building bridges as the way to go. Whether America has burnt too many of them already remains to be seen.

(c) Image copyright: James Benning