Trains of Thoughts

For the majority of people, the subway merely represents a reliable means of transportation that quickly and safely transports them to their destination. Timo Novotny’s audiovisual essay, however, reveals that the underground railway is much more. It is quite literally the seedbed of a wide variety of human stories (New York), a center of diverse musical production (Los Angeles), a favored locale of suicide and sexual deviance (Tokyo), a glitzy tourist attraction (Moscow), or an ideal place for study or relaxation. Set to the excellent, uninterrupted soundtrack by Sofa Surfers (rightfully dubbed the Austrian Massive Attack), the filmmakers accompany us through the underground railways of several world metropolises, discovering what makes them unique. Sometimes visually reminiscent of a classy music video, this whimsical movie stands out for its original visual treatment and effective interplay of music and image. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)