13 Lakes

13 Lakes
Directed byJames Benning
Produced byJames Benning
CinematographyJames Benning
Distributed byCanyon Cinema
Release date
Running time
133 minutes[a]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesSilent; English credits

13 Lakes is a 2004 American independent non-narrative experimental film by independent filmmaker James Benning. Consisting of 13 ten-minute-long static shots of different lakes in the United States, 13 Lakes is an instance of slow cinema, placing emphasis on introspection and contemplation. Shot on 16 mm film, 13 Lakes had its world premiere at the Vienna International Film Festival on October 20, 2004. Due to the experimental nature of the film, it did not receive a theatrical release, but has been distributed by Canyon Cinema. 13 Lakes received positive reviews, with particular praise directed towards its ambience, cinematography and Benning's direction. In 2014, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Variety was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Plot was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Mullen 2017, p. 10.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Slant was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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