Feedback and music

So I decided that I needed more feedback, particularly from some who have neither worked on the film or seen even parts of it previously. This past week I invited Paula, Ronny and Sarah to have a look. Ronny is involved in a way. He owns the cabin in Norway where we shot a third of the film, and he played a small part in it as well. Now Sarah knew nothing about it, but works in documentary in television, so would have a very different view on it.
This edit was the same I had shown in January. I wasn't looking for anything new, just confirmation of what I already knew, and this was the case. There was nothing new to report.
For example, the pace at the top of the Norway sequence is problematic. I did realise something new on this viewing, now that I had been away from it from two months: it is more than just pace or rhythm, but also the fact that Claire is alone for such a length of time. As Robert said long ago at another viewing, the audience already knows this. It looks beautiful but redundant.
So of course I can cut this sequence shorter. I think I know already that a lot of these shots don't work very well when they are shortened by themselves. I believe here you understand what Tarkovsky meant when he said that you can't impose pace upon a shot. Inherent in a shot is it's own pace. Rather I would have to remove shots entirely. My problem has always been not being certain what to cut. Here is where a real editor would do the job and I don't have one.
I thought of other ways that another voice could be added into this sequence, with radio and incidental music, and I will experiment with this on the next edit.
But Sarah's other primary comment: use music. Not incidental music, as I had always planned to use this, but a soundtrack. I have always resisted this, I did not want to use music to cover the failings of the film. Now I am a bit more philosophical: no matter how experienced I may be I will have failings. There is always the danger that a soundtrack could be used to just repeat what should be apparent on screen and in the scene, but I think back to the short film I did many years ago, when I worked with my friend Joakim. He added another layer into the film. So a soundtrack? I will at least consider it. Now I am busy going through my film music, using it to learn and feel my way through what is wrong and what is right for the film.
I still have plans for more making of videos, and then there is long-delayed pickups.