Christian Marclay: Doors

Passing through decades of film history and countless portals between on-screen universes, Doors (2022) is Christian Marclay’s latest cinematic exploration of the meaning behind everyday objects. Marclay (Swiss American, born 1955) is a conceptual artist, composer, and filmmaker. His acclaimed 2010 film The Clock, a 24-hour montage of time-related clips, won the Golden Lion at the 2011 Venice Biennale.

Shifting his attention to doors, which Marclay describes as “rich with symbolism . . . commonplace, yet unfamiliar,” this film comprises dozens upon dozens of scenes linked by doorways. Marclay spent years carefully selecting and splicing together these quick cuts. Whether pulled from silent films or modern-day motion pictures, they throw viewers into an endless loop of entering and exiting: One actor steps across a threshold and morphs into another actor turning a knob to leave. Each time, we are sent somewhere new, wondering whether this mesmerizing film will end or if another adventure is about to begin. In fact, Doors runs on a continuous loop, leading us on an open-ended journey through film’s limitless possibilities.