Documentary films often explore what is inside a person, but rarely what is TRULY inside a person. "De humani corporis fabrica" boldly journeys into the depths of the human body with probe cameras, bringing us all those mystical secrets of the human body that we would prefer not to see or experience. However, this is not a popular science film; here, the body is depicted as abstraction, a mystical clockwork of countless gears that simultaneously evokes a desire to believe in both science and God.

Regardless, "De humani corporis fabrica" makes us love and appreciate life in all its fragility. The film also contains a subtle commentary on the French healthcare system, which could perhaps function better at times. The closing scene, accompanied by New Order's "Blue Monday," is illuminating. The film's title is derived from Andreas Vesalius' groundbreaking 16th-century anatomy treatise, "De humani corporis fabrica libri septem" ("On the Fabric of the Human Body in Seven Books").

This film may not be for everyone's taste, but it is certainly for those willing to seek beauty where they least expect it.

Tristan Priimägi