Exchanging his 16mm Bolex for a high-definition video camera, and straying from his native soil, James Benning heads to Germany with Ruhr

(Germany/U.S.A.).

Using his medium much like a painter would, Benning creates a monumental and surprising portrait of the Ruhr Valley, the largest urban agglomeration in Germany known for its heavy industry.

Split into two parts, with six long takes in the first section and one masterful hour-long take in the second, Benning turns his mathematician’s eye toward the area’s industrial sublime, reinvigorating our viewing experience along the way.