Restaurant (1965)

Overview

The film begins with a close-up of a table in a restaurant covered with a checkered cloth, in a composition that strongly suggests a still life. It lingers there for a long time before beginning a slow outward zoom. All the while we overhear poorly recorded snippets of conversation. We see hands move in and out of the frame, lifting glasses and tapping cigarettes. We recognise Edie Sedgwick by her signature dancer's tights and jewellery. The group discuss a recent trip to Tangier; the conversation returns frequently to past and upcoming travel. At one point, a whole, uncut pineapple is delivered to their table, despite the fact that they are in an Italian restaurant: it is not meant to be eaten, but to evoke the possibility of adventure in exotic, semi-imaginary lands.