MEEK'S CUTOFF

A group of frontier settlers lead their draft animals across the dusty, boundless Oregon trail. Their guide, the headstrong and brutal Stephen Meek, is confident they’re going the right way, but in a moment of pause someone carves a word into a dead tree: lost. With water and food running low, the vastness of the high desert begins to close in with claustrophobic dread. 

Richly intentional and observant, Meek’s Cutoff marked the beginning of the collaboration between director Kelly Reichardt and cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt, which has spanned five feature films—including Night Moves, an Ari Wegner curated selection for Galerie. 

Speaking with film critic Yonca Talu, Blauvelt reflected: “I like to say that the films we make are thoughtful, because we really think about what we’re doing and how and why we’re doing it. If you ask yourself those kinds of simple, basic questions, you’ll realize that you start to pull back, not do too much and let it be.” 

Following a recent live screening of the film, we were joined by Blauvelt, who answered questions on his process of capturing the 1840s frontier, and his partnership with Reichardt. 

Read Yonca Talu's full interview with Christopher Blauvelt here.

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