AllMovie

With fifteen linked chapters that conjoin city symphony, diary film and personal-political essay, Jem Cohen’s COUNTING builds a vivid portrait of the experience of contemporary life that is as personal as it is universal. Shot in locales including New York City, Istanbul, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Porto (Portugal) and Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), the film’s palpably intimate observations range from naturally occurring Moscow street theater to NSA wiretapping to the dismantling of Brooklyn landmarks. In Cohen’s 30-year exploration of documentary as a path of open inquiry, this film is perhaps his most personal, poignant and celebratory reckoning with life.